Ronin Warriors: Blood Reign - Episode 1: Ryo
by GirlInTheMask
Summary: One year after the events of Message, Suzunagi once again appears to Ryo. Not only does he have to don his new armor, but he's also told that a girl will help him in this new journey. But when a series of explosions erupts in the city and he loses his memory after saving three people from certain death, will he be able to regain his powers and find that girl?
1. The Lady and the Tiger

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ronin Warriors a.k.a Yoroiden Samurai Troopers. It belongs to whoever currently owns the rights._

_Series Overview: One year after the events of _Message_, Suzunagi appears to the Ronins again with new messages involving their futures. All of them include mysterious girls that appear in their dreams, whom Suzunagi explains will play big parts in helping them bring down perhaps the worst evil they've ever faced. There are five episodes each revolving around a different Ronin and the girl they meet, and all of them are happening simultaneously. For now, here's the one about Ryo. Enjoy!_

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><p><span><strong>Ronin Warriors: Blood Reign<strong>

_Episode 1 – Ryo_

Chapter 1 – The Lady and the Tiger

Four years. That was how long it had been. Four years since that fateful day when all five of them managed to defeat Talpa, emperor of the Netherrealm. Ryo Sanada did his best to shut his ears out from all the sounds that filled the city as he walked through it. From the car horns angrily honking at one another in the classic road-rage style to the shouts and laughter of normal, everyday citizens going about their normal, everyday lives. And yet, for all the effort that he used to try and avoid it, once he heard those people, he frowned as he once again began to envy them.

Ninety-nine percent of the people in this world had no idea what he and his friends had to go through to keep the earth safe, what they had to sacrifice and endure. And no matter how much he tried since, Ryo just couldn't get to have the life of a normal teenage boy. And the time he had for that chance was quickly slipping away. He was nineteen now, practically a legal adult. Sometimes he feared that what he had experienced made him more hardened than the average nineteen-year-old. Well, the more he thought about it, maybe it was better the majority of the world's population didn't know what he knew. If they did, they'd probably be guilt-ridden for the rest of their lives, and he didn't know anyone who'd want to live like that.

Trying to redirect his efforts, Ryo put his hands in his pockets and continued his stroll, looking only straight ahead as he began to once again lose himself to his thoughts. He still couldn't believe that already four years had passed since the day he, Sage, Cye, Kento, and Rowen scored victory over that dark kingdom and practically saved the world, using five powerful armors given to them for such a purpose, armors that they eventually had to give up due to their sinister origins. And he almost didn't want to believe that they had decided to gather here in order to commemorate it. They hadn't seen each other in a long while, and at the time it seemed like a good idea. Ryo arrived here only yesterday, but it was only now that he truly began to feel the weight of what was going on. And yet, that wasn't the only thing on his mind that was troubling him.

Ryo's frown deepened as he remembered his dream from the night before, one that had been different from any other he'd had in the past year. From what he remembered, it seemed to start out normal enough, at least, as normal as a dream could be. He was sitting on what looked to him like a mountainside. The sky above was a darkening blue with a blazing sunset painting most of the clouds a light red. Mt. Fuji soared up intimidatingly into the clouds on the left, and a red and green valley swept down below on his right. Red, much like the leaves of the Japanese maple he was sitting under, with his most trusted companion besides any of his friends, his white tiger, White Blaze.

That was when things started to get ominous. Ryo heard a sound that made his heart stop, a sound he hadn't heard in the past twelve months. It was the clinking of a necklace, belonging to someone he seemed to have gotten so well in such a short amount of time. He'd turned his head toward the sound, and saw that he was right. There she was, standing just a few yards away from him, adorned in her ornate white robe and her signature cross necklace, and her pale eyes that pierced straight through to him whenever she looked his way. Suzunagi. But what was she doing here? And why now? She'd only appeared to him and the others a year ago, to give them new armors the replace the others they originally had. And only when she did was her restless spirit finally put to rest. So what could she have to say to him now? Well, there was only one way to find out.

Against his better judgment, yet wanting nonetheless to have his questions answered, Ryo slowly got to his feet. With White Blaze at his side, he strode over to the ghostly woman, who, despite his deep frown and apprehensions she obviously sensed, gave him a soft smile at his approach.

"Ryo Sanada," she said in that deep yet gentle voice of hers.

"Suzunagi," Ryo said back, feeling some of his anxiety disappear, "It's been a while."

Her smile grew slightly. "Time travels rather differently when you live as I do."

"I can imagine," Ryo nodded. Then, knowing it had to come out, he finally asked her, "But, what are you doing here? Is something wrong? What's up?"

Any smile Suzunagi had quickly faded, and was replaced by a face of disappointment. "I am sorry this meeting cannot take place under better circumstances, as I know you are about to gather with your fellow Ronins to reminisce about all the things you experienced together in just four years."

Ryo nodded, and despite the sadness in her voice, he couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah, you're right about that."

Suzunagi didn't return the smirk. "Even so, I am afraid such a time of remembrance must be put on hold. I do not come here without purpose."

Ryo's eyebrows raised in alarm. "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked in a matching tone.

"I came to you in this way so I could cause you the least amount of alarm," the woman explained. Slowly, she then held out her hand and said, "Come with me, and I will tell you what must be told."

Ryo immediately wondered at what she could possibly be talking about. A year of nothing from her, and all of a sudden she's here in his dreams again? It didn't seem to make sense. Fortunately, Ryo realized he wasn't alone in his thoughts as he felt White Blaze rub up against him.

"I feel you, buddy," he said as he put his arm around the tiger's head. Still, he knew he had to make a decision. He knew that with the way Suzunagi was acting, what she had to say probably wasn't good. Even so, he'd heard this kind of news before. He was no stranger to it. And all he knew was that he wanted his questions answered. Without asking anymore, he soon took Suzunagi's hand, and then let her lead him down the dirt path to the valley below the mountainside.

"Where are you taking me?" Ryo asked after a while, wanting to at least know that.

"To a place in your mind that you need assistance reaching," Suzunagi replied, still looking straight ahead as she walked, "Fortunately I am here to provide it. The assistance is needed because it will be the only place in your mind that you will be able to bear what I have to say to you."

Ryo slowly took in what she said so far, and slowly, he began to think that he might already know what she was about to say before she even said it. "I can take it," he said in a way he hoped was confident.

"Are you certain?" Suzunagi asked.

"All I want are answers," Ryo replied, "If it means hearing something heavy like I think this is, I'll take the chance."

"Very well," Suzunagi nodded. And just after that, they finally came to a stop at the entrance to the valley, which opened up to a large clearing with an opening to the red and green forest beyond. Only then did the woman turn to Ryo, the frown from before still on her face.

"I did not want this to have to happen so soon," she began as she closed her eyes, "but, I fear that now is the time for you and your fellow Ronins to use the armors I gave you. The time has come for you all to take up your mantles and become warriors once again."

Ryo's mouth came open at her words. He knew this was most likely the news Suzunagi had for him, but hearing her actually say it made it harder for him to bear than he thought. Still, he'd born burdens that had far more weight than this, and words like these were nothing new to him. He bowed his head slightly, closed his eyes, and sighed in response.

"If it's come to this," he then said, "then I'll gladly put on the armor and become a warrior again, especially if it means protecting those I love."

When he opened his eyes again and looked back up, the woman's pale eyes looked understanding, and a hint of a smile returned to her lips. Ryo didn't even flinch when she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I know your heart is heavy, Ryo," she said, "but you must know that in the four years that you and your friends have been warriors, you have done well in leading them. You think not of yourself, but of others, and you willingly bear the heaviest of burdens. Those are the marks of a true leader, so do not think that all that you have endured has been in vain."

Ryo felt his own mouth turn up at Suzunagi's words, but the moment hers turned down again, his smile sank again.

"But I am afraid that is not all I have to say," the woman said further, "Despite all of your valiant leadership, Ryo, even you must need help in facing what lies ahead."

Ryo's eyebrows shot up again in surprise. What was she saying? That someone new would be added to their team. Granted, he and the others had considerable outside help, even if it sometimes reaped undesirable and even shocking results, but, what could this mean? That a possible new warrior would soon join them? That was the only answer he could think of. Fortunately, Suzunagi didn't seem unaware of his confusion.

"Indeed," she continued, "this may be the greatest threat you have faced yet. Whether or not you have faced it before though, I cannot say."

"But what about this extra help you're talking about?" Ryo asked, "Where will it come from? What should I look for?"

Suzunagi lifted her hand off his shoulder, and then gestured to his left and said, "Look." Ryo immediately did as she said, and his eyes widened as soon as they were greeted by a sight that one would only see in a dream such as this. Though, at the time he wasn't sure if it was a dream or not.

"What do you see?" Suzunagi asked him. At first, Ryo was so mystified by what he was seeing that it took him a while for him to find his voice.

"It…it's a wall of fire along that stream," he first said, wondering how it could exist in such close proximity to the water. But there it was, the bright red, orange, and yellow flames dancing before him as though they were living, breathing things.

"And what do you see within the wall?" Suzunagi asked him further.

Ryo looked at her while she was speaking, but as soon as he looked back at the fiery wall, his eyes widened even more than before when he saw a black shape emerge in the middle. He narrowed his eyes to try and make out the silhouette.

"It looks like a shadow of…a girl?" he replied with a question of his own. He couldn't see the person's face, or any of their other features, nothing but a black shadow. But when he finally could make out the shape, it looked like the slim figure of a girl in a kimono, and that was what confused him.

He looked back at Suzunagi and asked, "Who is she?"

"This is the one who will share your burdens," she replied, "But of course, that decision will have to be her own."

Ryo gave her a confused look. "But then, how is she supposed to help us if she chooses not to?"

"That is where you come in," Suzunagi replied patiently, "You will be the one to help her make that choice." Suddenly, her face became dark with warning, making Ryo once again feel uneasy. "However, you must act fast. For right now, at this very moment, she is being watched by the very evil you must combat. If you do not help her, she could eventually be consumed by the spirit of fear that surrounds her."

"Huh?" Ryo asked, his eyes once again wide, this time with concern, "What are you talking about?"

Without waiting for a response, he looked back at the silhouette of the girl. Right then, he heard a distressed scream that he knew could only come from her, like she was being devoured by the flames that encircled her. Instantly, Ryo's need to help kicked in, and before he could think to do anything else, he leaped into action. His heartbeat now in overdrive, he took off toward the girl, wanting to do everything he could to get her out of where she was before it was too late. But then, when he finally reached the wall of fire, he immediately found that he was no longer where he thought he was. All he saw was black, with another larger fiery wall encircling him as far as the eye could see. Instantly he was afraid. Not because the flames might devour him, but because he could no longer see that girl. Where was she? And for that matter, where was Suzunagi?

As if in answer to his latest question, Ryo froze when he heard the sound of the woman's voice, now distant, yet with so much more weight. "Do not fear, Ryo." He quickly turned, and saw her standing not too far away from him, her back to the flames, almost as if she wanted to fall into them. "The tiger will roar when virtue and righteousness shine through," she then said. And before she or Ryo could say anything else, Ryo watched in disbelief as the fire quickly enveloped her. He tried to shout, wanting for her to come back, to explain things further to him, but no sound escaped him. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe.

And that was when he shot up in his bed, his face practically doused in sweat. He then quickly looked around, and realized he was back in his hotel room, and that he had woken up from the most appalling dream he'd had in months. For the longest time, all he could do was sit there. Fortunately, it was eight in the morning, so he didn't have to go back to sleep. He didn't think he could after that.

Later on, while he rinsed his face, all he could do was think about what this dream meant. What he knew for sure was that Suzunagi was telling him about his future, not surprising since she could see into it with ninety-percent accuracy. And that future, whatever it was, involved a new enemy, and a girl who would help him and the others fight it. It was the last part of the dream, and the last thing Suzunagi said to him that caused him the most trouble. The tiger will roar when virtue and righteousness shine through? Was she talking about White Blaze? Possibly. White Blaze almost always accompanied him in his past battles, but why would Suzunagi say that as her farewell line? Even now, as he walked through the city, trying to clear his head of his troubling thoughts, those questions still returned to him again and again. Would he ever make sense of them? And if, and when, he did, what would it mean for him and his fellow Ronins? And for that girl he saw?

Ryo shook his head. All of these questions with no answers were just piling one on top of the other, and he was getting tired of it. He put his hand to the back of his neck to rub it, and realized he was getting pretty sweaty, judging by his long, black hair which stuck to the back of his neck. He made it up in his mind to have a shower when he got back. And then maybe something to eat. In fact, he was just about ready to turn back. As good as being outside was, it was summer, and since it was mid-morning, it was just going to get hotter.

Suddenly, however, that was the furthest thing from Ryo mind. The next thing he knew, he was trying to regain his balance as the ground shook slightly, and he heard a large boom go off in the distance. And it looked like he wasn't just imagining it. All of the citizens, whether in cars or on foot, seemed to wonder just as wildly as he what just happened. Screams and frightened voices could be heard all around him, along with a shout of "Woah, what _is_ that?!"

Ryo looked in the direction of the voice, and his eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he saw not only a cloud like an atom-bomb would leave rise up in the distance, but also a flying piece of metal that seemed to grow in size the closer it got to the ground. And he wasn't the only one who tried to get out of the way. All around him people scrambled along with him to evade the falling death trap, until finally a good medium-sized car landed with a loud honk onto the concrete, causing shrapnel, glass, and even blood to shoot everywhere. Ryo fell onto the sidewalk.

At that moment, he could see nothing but pairs of rapidly running feet and hear only screams and shouts of the panic of people wishing to avoid another accident. Immediately Ryo tried to regain his feet, but he fell to his knees again as another boom went off behind him, one that sounded even closer than before. He spun his head around and saw to his horror that another explosion had erupted, sending another mushroom cloud up into the air and bright, deadly flames that seemed to incinerate everything even remotely close to them.

And with that second eruption, the panic went into the stratosphere as far as everyone was concerned. People ran wildly in all directions, screaming at the top of their lungs, trying desperately to get to another place before another possible explosion could go off. Ryo immediately felt the heat and weight of it all as he got back up on his feet and took off as fast as everyone else. Sweat trickled down his forehead like rain on a cloudless day and his heart beat hard and fast as he rushed through the crowds. Now there was only one thing on his mind. To find his friends and fellow warriors. If there was one thing he now knew for certain, it was that this wasn't a random terrorist attack. The enemy had appeared, and they were attacking swiftly and severely.

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><p>As she sipped her drink, tucked her hair behind her ears, and tried to pretend to be even remotely interested in the conversation, Seika resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. She loved her cousins, but all she wanted was to go out with them for a day of fun. Enjoy the mid-morning sun. Grab a bite to eat. Yet here she was, sitting at a table in an outside courtyard listening to her cousins talk about the one thing they brought up in almost every conversation they had: boys.<p>

"I'm telling you I saw him look at me!" wide-eyed Hitomi exclaimed with excitement.

"And I'm telling you, you were imagining it," her more reserved twin sister, Akemi, retorted.

Seika slowly turned her head away, hoping neither one of them would ask for her opinion, because she had none. Not that she didn't care for boys, but she was in no way interested in hearing about them right now when she was trying to have a fun summer girl day, especially considering what happened last night. She didn't know what it was. Well, that wasn't true. She did know it was a dream. But it was unlike any dream she'd ever had in her life, or, at least the ones she remembered having. Even now, almost against her will, her mind and thought engines were flowing back to it, bringing it to the forefront as though demanding it be addressed.

Almost like a hidden projector had suddenly appeared in her imagination, she began to relive that dream as though it was happening again right in front of her. The first thing Seika remembered was laying down in a small green field, much like the ones back at home, with trees full of cherry blossoms in bloom surrounding her. Sure it wasn't currently April, but in dreams, anything could happen. And this was the part she liked the most, just staring up at the radiant blue sky and watching the clouds drift by, just as she so often did whenever she took Snowbell out for a ride. Who knew? Maybe she might take her out this afternoon.

But suddenly, in her dream, that was when Seika heard laughter that could only come from an innocent, carefree child. Curious and intrigued by the sound, she'd sat up and caught sight of the strangest looking child she'd ever seen, dream or reality. She appeared at least eight years old, and wore a black and white robe, dressed like she was out of what she believed to be the Edo period. She wore a golden necklace with a cross, her scarlet red hair pulled back in a ponytail flowed in the breeze, but the most striking thing about her were the pale eyes that stared right at her, as if she could see right into the deepest parts of her.

The little girl smiled at her and waved. Before Seika could ask what she was doing here, the girl waved again, this time as if inviting her to come over.

"Come on," she said in a soft yet high-pitched voice which seemed to sound almost like a distant echo, "Follow me."

Seika's eyes widened, and just when she was about to ask what she was talking about, the girl turned around and began walking forward. Seika pressed her lips together. It seemed now that the only way to get answers was to do what this strange little girl wanted and follow her. She stood up, spotted the girl now half way down a path that looked like it led to another field, and began to shadow her footsteps, wondering all the while where this journey would lead.

The walk eventually led to a small hill covered in rocks, and the girl had already gotten to the top. With her silent encouragement, Seika climbed up the hill, the cherry blossom petals from the nearby trees floating swiftly by her. Before she knew it, she'd reached the top of the hill, but now the girl was at the bottom on the other side and was now lightly running down the road. Wanting to catch up to her, Seika hurried after until she was just a few feet behind.

"This way!" the girl called. She laughed again, and this time it was so delightful that Seika couldn't help but release a chuckle if nothing else. Despite the strangeness of it all, she was beginning to enjoy this.

But that was when the landscape of Seika's dream changed rapidly. The sky changed from a bright, sunlit blue to a dark, gray blue of impending night. All around her, each and every one of the cherry blossom trees began to change from the pale pink that matched her hair to the bright, hot colors of one of the things she feared most: fire. The flames continued to spread, leaving not one tree untouched, and making Seika immediately begin to feel the adrenaline her newly awakened fear brought out course through her. She then looked quickly around in all directions, but there was no sight of the girl she'd been following. And with the flames that seemed only to inch closer toward her, it looked like there was only one option left for her. Without looking back, she took off in a sprint.

The ground she gained, the more she could feel the flames practically licking at her heels. That only made Seika run even faster. She wondered if there was any other way she could go to escape the fiery blaze that threatened to devour her, but there seemed no way to go except forward. Knowing that might be the only remote chance she could evade this catastrophe, Seika took it, running as fast as she possibly could. Just then, she leaped over a log, but the ground on the other side was steeper than she perceived, causing her to fall face-first into the dirt path and hit it repeatedly as she fell all the way down to the bottom.

Once she stopped, she could only look through her now haphazard hair at the fire that only came closer and closer, until she finally closed her eyes to await her inevitable doom. Yet, it never came. Just after Seika closed her eyes, she heard what sounded like the clash of two swords, causing her to open her eyes again. They widened instantly when they saw the last thing she expected. There were two swordsmen who looked like old-fashioned samurai and it looked like they were fighting right in front of her.

One seemed to be made out of the fire itself, with vibrant flames dancing all around his armor and cloak, yet she couldn't see his face as it was hidden by a helmet and mouthguard. The other didn't seem to be quite as menacing, yet just as fierce. He was dressed in black, white, and red armor, with traces of gold that shone like the sun. He wielded two katana swords, which he used to defend himself against the other samurai, but she couldn't see his face either. But it didn't matter to her. Compared to the other, as far as she was concerned, this one was an angel.

Just as she was beginning to wonder how she'd gotten herself in the middle of a battle like this, Seika just as quickly knew that she had to escape it. Looking behind her, and seeing that the path was clear, and empty of fire, she leaped to her feet and took off in the same way she had before, never looking behind her for fear that things would change for the worse. For a long time, all that seemed to be in front of her was the path and the darkness of the night. Seika feared it would never leave her, never let her out of its grasp for even a moment. Still, she continued to run until she lost track of time, until she realized she had to stop.

As soon as she did, Seika realized only just then how fast and hard her heart was beating, how exhausted she felt, even if this was only a dream. But was there never going to be an end to it? As if in answer to her question, a bright light suddenly appeared in front of Seika, becoming so radiant she had to guard her eyes from it. When it finally dimmed though and it was safe for her eyes to see, she found herself gazing upon a new face, yet one that was also familiar. Just as she was wondering who this new person was, it suddenly became clear to her that this face belonged to the little girl she'd been following earlier. She had the same black and white robe, the same cross necklace, the same scarlet red hair, and the same piercing eyes, yet this time, she looked like a grown woman.

Seika immediately began to wonder further what this all meant, or even if she should be trying to make sense of it at all, when the woman reached out a hand toward her. And with a gentle yet powerful voice, she called out, "Fear not, young woman. For the troubles of your heart will soon begin to fade. The tiger will roar when virtue and righteousness shine through." And with that, she herself, almost as though she were a ghost, then began to fade from Seika's view.

"Hey, wait!" she called out, "Where are you going? What do you mean?" But it was no use. The woman continued to fade, becoming more and more transparent, until she finally disappeared altogether. That was the last thing Seika remembered before she woke up. And as soon as she found herself back in her bed again, she still found herself trying to make sense of that intangible dream, all the sights she'd seen, all the sounds she heard, all the things she felt. Even now, as she sat out in the summer sun attempting to enjoy the day with her cousins, her thoughts continued to wander back to that elusive part of her mind that contained the memory of her dream. The questions she had just hours before continued to haunt her.

What was that woman talking about? Was she posing a riddle to Seika? Seika didn't even know who the woman was, and that was the part that confused and troubled her the most. Dreams usually consisted of experiences and people one knew well, even if they didn't always make sense. But this dream completely baffled her, making her lose some of her sense of peace and safety. Still, then again, none of it really happened, seeming to stay only in her imagination. She knew that much. Who knew? She could pretty much be worrying over nothing, and she would have a completely normal kind of dream the next time she slept.

Just then, Seika's train of thought was broken as she heard her cousin Akemi's voice. "Seika? Hey, Seika?" The moment she saw a hand in front of her face, Seika immediately remembered where she was, and refocused her attention on the purpose of this outing: to enjoy the summer, free of school, with her two best friends in the world. And she was now certain she was going to do that.

"Yes?" she asked, hoping she hadn't looked like a complete doofus in the last few minutes.

"I was asking you if you wanted me to refill your drink?" Akemi said, pointing to the cup in Seika's hand. Seika looked and realized that she was now sucking on melting ice, and she still felt somewhat thirsty. She nodded her head.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks," she replied. She then handed Akemi her drink, and again tucked back her hair as her cousin left the table, leaving her with Hitomi, who stared curiously at her. Seika pressed her lips together.

"Seika, what's up?" Hitomi asked, "You had a weird look on your face when Akemi was trying to talk to you."

Seika sighed and then shrugged. "I guess I was just lost in thought, that's all," she replied.

Hitomi crossed her arms in skepticism, yet her curious look stayed. "What were you thinking about?"

That was where Seika had to draw the line. Looking away for a moment to rub the back of her head, like she usually did when she was nervous, she replied, "I don't really want to talk about it. Besides, it's nothing. Sorry."

Hitomi then touched her arm, causing Seika to look back at her. "Hey, come on," Hitomi said in an encouraging voice, "I may be crazy but I'm not stupid. Besides, we're family. Aren't we supposed to be there for each other?"

She had a point about that, and Seika hated to admit it. Still, some things were better to deal with when talked about, especially to someone you knew and trusted. What harm could there be in telling Hitomi, who at the worst would only be confused? Gathering her strength and making the decision to tell her, Seika opened her mouth to speak, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it felt like the ground beneath her shifted. It felt as though she'd experienced a small earthquake. And apparently she wasn't the only one. All around her, everyone seemed to be as confused as she was, their voices joined in a unison of concern and even fear.

"Woah, wha-, the heck was that?" Hitomi asked, her eyes now wide.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Akemi replied as she rejoined them. Suddenly, her own eyes went wide as her sight was set upon something else. "Look!" she cried out, pointing toward what was probably the source of that sensation. Hitomi and Seika immediately looked that way, and saw that not only was there a mushroom cloud emerging not too far away from them, but there was also a car that seemed to be ejected from the explosion. Fortunately, it was headed away from them, but that did nothing to calm any of them, especially Seika.

They heard even, from where they were, the sound of the car crashing onto what was probably concrete ground, along with the honk that emanated from it and the screams of terrified citizens. But Seika had the feeling that the worst was far from over, and it soon turned out she was right. Another explosion detonated in the same area the car crash-landed in, causing another mushroom cloud to appear. And as soon as it went off, even though they were a safe distance away from it, people everywhere around Seika, Akemi, and Hitomi began screaming and running wildly in all directions. Knowing they were right to panic, and feeling the need to flee herself, Seika grabbed her purse and shot out of her seat, causing the chair to topple over.

"Let's get out of here!" she exclaimed, and the next thing she knew, she was heading away from the table, her cousins just behind her.

"Where will we go?" Akemi yelled. But Seika didn't answer her. All she knew was that she no longer wanted to be out in the city. She wanted to be back home. And she wanted to get there before another bomb, or whatever that was, exploded again. Her heart started beating like a drum and she could feel her pulse pound in her ears. And before long, she began to realize that it wasn't just from the danger she was now immersed in, but also the possibility that this could somehow be connected to her dream. Despite anything she could have said to herself, Seika didn't think this was a mere coincidence, and she also didn't think she'd be safe much longer if she stayed within the city. Just like in her dream, she ran, never looking back as she rushed down the street like she ran down that fateful pathway.

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><p><em>Reviews would be appreciated.<em>


	2. The Fire is Doused

**Ronin Warriors: Blood Reign**

_Episode 1 – Ryo_

Chapter 2 – The Fire is Doused

As Ryo hurried through the crowds, hoping he wouldn't get into such a tight spot that he would end up suffocating, he shoved his hand into his pocket to search for his cellphone. After several tries, and nearly getting knocked into a streetlight pole, he finally managed to find it and found an entrance to an alleyway. Once he was a safe distance from the stampede of panicking people, he fished out his phone turned it on. But before he could unlock it, he discovered to his dismay that there was no signal. He hurried out into the open and kept close to the buildings as he ran, but no matter what he did he still couldn't get a signal. He bit his lip, but the moment he was knocked into a brick wall, he tasted blood. Now he knew he had to get to a safe place. Fortunately, he found another alleyway nearby and dove toward it before anyone else could knock him over.

He pressed his back against the wall and put his hand to his throbbing head, which wasn't helped by the screaming police sirens he then heard as they sped down the road. He knew why they were here, and what they were going to look for. But they wouldn't find it. He was pretty sure this wasn't a coincidence. No domestic terrorist could set up one, let alone two bombs in this part of the city without being noticed. Then again, no enemies like the ones he was used to facing ever appeared. Though, that didn't mean they never would.

Which brought another troubling question to Ryo. Should he now bring out his armor and use it? If he had to, he'd have to find a place where no one would see him. But there didn't seem to be many options since there were people running everywhere. And what about the girl? Should he try to look for her? He didn't know if he should. In his dream he remembered neither what the shadow of that girl looked like nor a name given to her. What was he going to do without either of those important factors? He couldn't just rely in pure instinct. Well, then again…

Ryo shook his head. No, he couldn't do that. What mattered to him most right now was making contact with his friends and to know whether or not they were okay. Hopefully he was the only one in a situation like this. And then if he did actually get to meet with them, maybe they could help him make sense of all this. But of course, with no signal on his phone, those prospects seemed to dim right before his eyes.

But before he could think on what to do next, the sound of a girl crying out reached Ryo's ears. He looked in the direction it came from and saw three girls in the middle of the road, one of them kneeling on the ground with a pained look on her face and the other two trying to help her up. Before Ryo could think about whether or not he should attempt to help them, the sound of the third explosion he experienced that day thundered from just a few hundred yards away, probably even closer than the last one. A bright set of flames shot off along with another dark cloud up high into the air, and with it, a broken car door. As his vision followed its path, Ryo discovered to his heart-stopping horror that it was headed straight for the girls in the road.

Now he knew he had to get them out of the way. Leaving no room for second thoughts, Ryo took off toward the girls, his arms outstretched and waving in an attempt to get their attention and his adrenaline rapidly flowing through his body. "Hey, look out!" he cried out as loud as he could, "Get out of the way!"

That got their attention. All three of their heads shot up, and in a split-second that almost seemed to freeze time in place, Ryo caught sight of the eyes of one of them, eyes which widened even more so than those of the other two. But before he could even think about what that meant, the last thing Ryo remembered after shoving them all forward as hard as he could was the feeling of heavy weight send him to the ground, and a world of darkness that quickly enveloped him.

* * *

><p>Seika froze where she was the moment she hit the ground. It happened so fast. One moment she and Akemi were trying to help Hitomi up after she fell and scrapped her knee, and then she'd been pushed out of the way by a complete stranger who'd rescued her and her cousins from major injuries, or worse. She didn't know what to think, or even if she could process it at all. But Hitomi definitely had a reaction, judging by the shocked scream she let out the moment the car door fell on that guy.<p>

While Hitomi's scream surprised her, the longer Seika stared at the sight before her, with the person who'd just saved her life now bloodied and mangled beneath that destroyed car door, the more she felt the need to help him. Before long, she rushed to her feet and then to the man's side, and her shock and awe only grew the moment she saw that not only was this a young man, but he didn't even seem that much older than her.

"Oh man, is he dead?!" Hitomi asked hysterically.

Seika put two fingers to the guys neck, looking for a pulse, and she let out a small but genuine sigh of relief when she found one.

"No," she replied as she shook her head, "but he might be if we don't get him to a hospital."

When she looked back at them she watched as Akemi fished her phone out of her purse. "I'm calling 119," she said.

"Too late," Hitomi suddenly retorted, "I can't get a signal on my phone!"

Ignoring her, Akemi entered her code. But once she unlocked her phone, she discovered her sister wasn't lying. "You're right," she admitted, "Neither can I!"

Her eyebrows now raised in fear, Seika looked through her purse for her own phone. She pulled it out once she found it, but like her cousins', hers too had no signal. She let out a huff of frustration, yet she knew she still had to try to help. She knew she had to do something, starting with the car door still on top of this guy. Spinning around to face her cousins, she called out in aggravation, "Well, don't just stand there! Help me get this off him!"

Though they hesitated for a moment, Hitomi and Akemi eventually nodded their heads and hurried over to her side. As glad as she was for their help though, Seika's urgency to relieve this man of this crushing weight wasn't helped much by the sick look Hitomi now wore on her face.

"Oh, this is so gross!" she exclaimed as she took hold of the edge of the door.

Unlike before, Seika succumbed to the desire to roll her eyes. Fortunately, Akemi also gave her sister a light shove. "Shut up!" she exclaimed back, "We're helping someone!" She too then grabbed hold of the car door while Seika made sure her grip was firm.

"Okay, on three," she said, bracing herself not only for the weight but for the sight she might see, "One, two, three!"

With gritted teeth and grunts from all three of them, the girls soon managed to get the door off the man and toss it to the side. And as Seika feared, the sight of the badly hurt man that greeted her was not pretty in anyway. Bruises were already forming on his body, making her fear he'd broken a few things. Some glass from the window had embedded itself into his torso, not too deep she hoped, staining his white shirt with red. And though she found his chest was moving, it seemed to do so only barely. While Seika assured herself she'd seen worse at the vet where she worked, seeing it on a human, and up close, somehow made the picture all the more grisly and horrific. Even so, she found her hand unconsciously and slowly move toward the side of his head, and realized she wanted to see if he was still at least alive.

"Oh, geez," she breathed, "Look at him. He really got slammed hard."

Her fingers finally touched the side of his head and then began to move his black hair aside. Seika let out a small gasp as she saw that not only did his face look deathly pale, but there was a rather large wound on his temple with some glass having found it's way into it. That was when she began to feel nauseous and pale in her own face. But she knew she couldn't give out now, not when helping this man could mean the difference as to whether or not he would even live.

Turning back to her cousins, she said, "We have to get him to a hospital."

"And how are we gonna do that?" Akemi asked, "We can't just drag him there. Besides, he looks too heavy."

"We have to do something!" Seika suddenly snapped, but she immediately bit her lip when she saw that she surprised her cousin more than she intended.

Suddenly though, right as she was about to apologize, Hitomi pointed forward, her eyes wide, and asked, "Wait, what's that?!"

Akemi and Seika looked in the same direction, and Seika's eyes widened even more than Hitomi's as she saw that across the street stood a large, imposing white tiger. A tiger? In the city? Before she could think any further on those questions, the woman's line from the dream she had the night before once again flashed across her mind. What was it she said? "The tiger will roar when virtue and righteousness shine through." Seika quickly began to wonder again what it could mean. But even as she did, the tiger continued to stare down at her with his large brown eyes and growled, almost as though he was challenging her.

Was the tiger going to attack her? It seemed that way at first. But before she could think further, Seika watched with unblinking eyes as the tiger shifted his gaze, growled louder, and then ran over to the injured man's side. Hitomi and Akemi instantly backed away, Hitomi letting out a small scream, but Seika's attention was firmly focused on the animal. She continued to watch, to her amazement, as the tiger nudged the guy's head again and again before he finally sat down on his haunches and let out a final growl, one that immediately struck Seika almost as though he was mourning the man in front of them. And along with that realization emerged another idea, one that she knew well was dangerous, but one she couldn't help but entertain.

Slowly, she began to inch toward the tiger, and flinched when she heard Akemi call out, "Seika, what are you doing?!"

Without turning her head, though she wanted to shoot her a glare, Seika replied in a calm voice, "I'm fine, Akemi. I know how to handle animals."

"But, but that's a tiger!" Akemi tried again. But Seika ignored her. She only continued to get closer to the tiger, until she finally knelt down slowly right in front of him.

"Hey," she then said in a soft voice. She also held out her hand toward him, her fingers extended. The tiger then began to sniff them, obviously assessing whether or not she was a friend. And while Seika was hoping just as strongly that she wouldn't get her fingers bitten off, her heart soared with relief as the animal then began to lick them, and soon nudged his head under her hand, allowing her to pet him. Allowing herself to smile just a bit, now that she had his trust, Seika stroked his head three times before she looked at the injured man beneath them, and then back at the tiger.

"Is this your master?" she asked, hoping the animal would somehow understand her. The tiger answered by letting out a soft growl and laying his head against that of the man. Seika felt her heart melt slightly, and so decided to take the image before her as a "yes." She put her hand on his head, causing him to look back at her.

"It's alright," she said, doing her best to get the words out, "He's still alive."

The tiger growled and looked down again. And right then, Seika's eyebrows raised as she watched what the tiger did next. At first she thought he was biting at the injured man's neck, until she realized he was actually grabbing with his mouth the collar of his shirt. He pulled until he got the guy halfway onto his head. And that was when Seika knew what he was trying to do, and that they could even possibly work together.

"Are you trying to carry him?" she asked, again feeling a bit silly at talking to an animal like a human, when an actual human interrupted her.

"Are you serious?" It was Akemi, and her face and tone were matched with incredulity.

Still somewhat frustrated with her, and knowing they were without any other available options, Seika put her hands on her hips and replied, "Well, if either of you guys have any other brilliant ideas, I'd love to hear 'em."

Akemi and Hitomi then looked at each other, and it wasn't long before Akemi, somewhat reluctantly, shrugged her shoulders. "I got nothing."

Hitomi then shook her head with the same level of reluctance. "Me neither," she added.

"Then come on," Seika said, "We need to hurry. We can't afford to waste any more time." Without waiting for a response from either of them, she turned, bent down, and gripped tight on the guy's shirt with both hands. She then with a set of gritted teeth and a grunt heaved him up onto the tiger's back, but not before she nearly dropped him. And for the most surprising reason. Not only was he in fact indeed heavier than she thought, but the moment she thought she touched his skin, he felt almost hot and cold at the same time, and she thought she saw some sort of image flash in her mind. But it was so quick she didn't quite catch it.

Once he was on the tiger's back, Seika shook her head. She was most likely just a little grossed out at the thought of handling a gravely injured man, and her body was just reacting to that. Nothing more. Nothing at all. That was what Seika kept telling herself the moment they were on the road toward the hospital. But while she kept her eyes on the road, she nearly as often kept her sight on the wounded guy who'd just saved her life, even though they were complete strangers. She didn't know too many people who would do a sort of thing like that, and while it made her uncomfortable, it also made her feel very grateful.

"Please," she kept whispering as close to him as she could get, "Please be okay. Please let me have the chance to thank you."

* * *

><p>What happened? Where was he? <em>Who<em> was he? Those were the questions that pounded in his head as he traveled through an abyss of darkness that seemed to go on and on without end. How long he'd been there, he didn't know. What did he know for certain? And was he ever going to leave this pit? It pretty much felt like it had become his only way of existing by now, the only one he'd ever truly known. And it definitely wasn't helped by the shots of pain that coursed through his body every now and then. As for everything else, while he may have had flashes of images he might have known before, he couldn't pinpoint in his memory what they were. It seemed like in one split second everything that was familiar to him slipped out of his hands, leaving him unable to grab hold of any of it again. And keeping track of time was pretty much lost to him as well. At moments it felt like a thousand years had passed. At others, only a few seconds. And as for now, it seemed that all that awaited him was this dark, formless void.

But just as he was starting to think that he might as well try to get used to it, he suddenly realized he was lying on something. A bed? Maybe. It felt like there was a mattress underneath him. And a soft one at that. Just then, a thought occurred to him. If he knew he was lying in a bed, then he must have regained some sense of his body. But he felt so tired, the only muscles he was in the mood for even attempting to use were his eyes. Maybe then he would get the answers he so craved. Very slowly, he began to open his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, the moment it started to clear, he realized he was looking at a ceiling. But before he could guess where he was, something wet was then dabbed on the side of his head. A moan escaped his lips, making it go away. And at the same time he realized he might be able to move his head. Just as slowly as he did with his eyes, he turned it to the right, where the wetness came from. And right before his newly opened eyes, he beheld a somewhat surprising, yet lovely sight: a girl.

Like everything else, he couldn't recall ever seeing her before. But she was the prettiest thing that greeted him so far. Her hair was a pale, sugary pink color. Bangs and two braids framed her face while the rest fell down to the middle of her back. Her large eyes were a pale purple. He guessed she liked horses, judging by the pink shape of one on the front of her white shirt. He also guessed that she was at least seventeen years old. But the thing that struck him as odd was the fact that while her left sleeve was short, her right sleeve was much longer, going just past her wrist. Still, many things about this room he was now in struck him as weird, and he remembered then that he wanted to know where he was. And he wanted to know now. Gathering his strength, he tried to prop himself on his elbows and sit up, but was immediately stopped by the fresh pain that throbbed in his head, and a pair of hands that rested on his shoulders.

"You shouldn't do that," a feminine voice urged him as she gently pushed him back down again. He guessed it was her voice, and while it sounded nice, it didn't make the pain leave his head. He let out another moan, a louder one this time. And as he put his hand to his forehead, which he then realized was bandaged, he finally got some words to form on his mouth as he then said with a loud pronounced groan, "Oh, my head!"

"Is there anything I can get you?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," he replied as he grit his teeth behind his mouth, "Water."

"Okay, I'll be back as fast as I can," the girl said, "Don't go back to sleep." How could he with all this pain inside his skull? Even so, as his vision began to blur again, he fought the urge to pass out, knowing the girl must had have had a good reason to tell him not to. In an effort to focus on something else, he slowly began to look around the room. It seemed nice enough, with pale orange walls and freshly polished furniture. He looked at one of the bedside tables he saw that the digital clock showed the bright red time of four-thirty. How long had he been out? Then again, why did he bother asking? Not only could he not remember, but it only seemed to add to the pain in his head. He let out another groan.

Fortunately, he'd been heard. The girl soon came back with a small glass of water and something else in her other hand. At this point, he was ready to flop back down. But she gently lowered him down before he could do so.

"Listen," she then said, "I'm also gonna give you something for the pain, okay?"

"Cool," he croaked as he nodded a little bit. He was definitely ready for that. The girl raised him up slightly, and before he knew it, the sweet liquid had reached his lips and began quenching his dry throat. He didn't think he'd had better water in his life, it tasted so good. Unfortunately, before long it was all gone, and his head was lowered back onto the pillow. He did his best to clear his throat before he looked at her, with her large eyes showing great concern, and asked, "What happened?"

"You…" The girl paused for a moment, as if in hesitation, before continuing, "You rescued me and my cousin from a falling car door after an explosion went off. It fell on you instead. Do you feel any better now that you've had that water?"

"I guess," he managed to reply, "But, I'm not done. Where am I?"

"You're in my house," she replied, "We tried to get you to a hospital, but it was overcrowded, and the next one was too far away. Luckily my aunt used to be a trauma nurse, so we came back here. She said you were lucky we got you here when we did, otherwise you probably could've died."

"Woah," he breathed, feeling the weight of her words come down on him, "Well then, thank you."

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," the girl said as the corners of her mouth turned up in a way he thought was pretty, "To be perfectly honest, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

He squinted his eyes, trying to remember anything he could about her, but there was nothing. "Have we met?"

"No," she shook her head, "At least, I don't think so."

"Well," he said, trying to find the right words, "either way, you're welcome."

She smiled again, and it was even prettier than before. "I'm Seika Komatsu by the way."

"Seika," he repeated, smiling somewhat himself, "That's a nice name."

"Thanks," she nodded. Then, her smile disappearing slightly, she asked, "What about you? What's your name?"

He frowned. He knew it would eventually come to this, but he had to try. Try to remember. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought as hard as he could, without making his head throb again. But no matter how hard he tried, the result was always the same. "I…I don't remember," he shook his head apologetically.

She frowned too, making her appear almost sad. "I had a feeling this would happen. My aunt said that with the head injuries you sustained you would probably lose your memory. She also said you were lucky enough not to have gotten your skull split open."

He raised his eyebrows. "Well then, I think losing my memory is a better trade than losing my head entirely."

"I think so, too," the girl, Seika, agreed. The two then found themselves chuckling, making him feel the best he had so far. But before their conversation could continue any further, they both turned their heads at the sounds of two pairs of feet near the open door. He saw two blond girls who looked just alike – probably twins – and seemed about the same age as Seika make their way into the room, their eyes wide and their mouths gaping open with wonder.

"Oh great, you're not dead!" one of them, sporting bouncy curls, exclaimed. And before he knew it, she'd practically jumped onto his bed as though she were ten years younger than she probably was, making the pain return to his head for a moment.

"What was it like to be out like that?" the girl asked before he could even speak, "Was it scary? Did you see a white light?"

"Huh?" he asked, not really liking the way this girl was focusing all her attention on him.

Without waiting for an answer to any of her questions, she blurted out, "Gosh you're hot!" Immediately she frowned and looked red in the face, making him also feel so, and she quickly shook her head before saying, "Oh man, why did I say that?!"

He was no closer to an answer than she was. But fortunately, any other awkward statements were stopped when another girl – likely the sister of the first one – took her by the shirt collar and pulled her back off the bed, a strongly disapproving look on her face.

"Cut it out, Hitomi!" she said with a matching tone of voice, "It's obvious I'm the one who should be asking him the questions."

His eyebrows shot up, as he was not in the mood for any more attention from either of these girls, but all he could do was watch as the sisters began to argue.

"Well excuse me Miss Priss!" the first girl, Hitomi, exclaimed unapologetically.

"What did you call me?!" her sister demanded.

"You heard me!" Hitomi said smugly, her arms now crossed.

"I'm telling Mom!" the other raised her voice, close to yelling.

He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take as he began to sink back into his bed. But just as he thought he was about to witness a shouting match, Seika immediately came between them and said, "You two need a timeout!" She then gestured toward him and continued, "Besides, you're freaking him out and he's just woken up! So if you don't get out of here right now I'll tell Aunt Rin on both of you and you'll both be in trouble! So out! Now!"

Surprised by the sudden authority she commanded, he watched as the equally surprised girls did as Seika told, hurrying out of the room as fast as they could before Seika shut the door. She then breathed a sigh of relief, turned back around to face him, and smiled an embarrassed smile.

"I'm so sorry about that," she said, "Those were my cousins, Akemi and Hitomi. They're not usually this out of control, I promise."

"I'll take your word for it," he managed to say as he tried to reposition himself in his bed to get more comfortable.

Suddenly, he then watched as Seika began rubbing the back of her head, and saw that her cheeks started becoming bright pink, almost red. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind, but he knew he couldn't pry. He wasn't that kind of person. At least, he hoped he wasn't.

"Uh, listen," she then said, "I have some things I need to do. But my aunt should be up here in a while. You'll like her, I promise."

"I hope so," he said, "I'm not exactly in the mood for another round of 'who can yell the loudest.'"

Seika smiled again and let out another chuckle. "I knew you wouldn't be." Still, she soon frowned and said, "But I should remind you to stay awake. My aunt doesn't want to take any chances with your head injury."

"I get it," he nodded. He then smiled himself and said, "Still, it was nice meeting you, Seika."

Her eyebrows raised slightly, and her smile just as much returned. "Thanks a lot. I liked meeting you too. I never thought I'd get to thank you for saving me and my cousins. But, for now anyway, I'll see you later."

"Okay," he nodded again, "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Thanks, later." And with one last smile that he wished would stay longer, she opened the door and walked out of the room, leaving him alone in his bed. While he was somewhat disappointed by her departure, he found that he now had time to think about his situation, and what it could all mean.

While he said earlier that losing his memory was a better outcome than having his head split open, it was still frustrating not being able to remember anything about himself, about his life. He closed his eyes for just a moment, tried to think of something, anything that might bring him back. Even so, despite his best efforts, all that came to him was a black tunnel that seemed to block his train of thought from reaching that part of his brain that held his memory. Suddenly, he thought of another chilling possibility. What if he never did regain his memory? What if he could be stuck in this state of amnesia forever? Would he be forced to start over his life altogether?

No. That was the only thing he could say to himself as he began clutching the bed sheets in his fists. He couldn't resign himself to a state of being lost. Even if he couldn't remember exactly the kind of person he once was, he did know for now that he would not go down in this mental battle without a fight. It was almost as if a faint fire was flickering within him, telling him not to surrender, to not give in without trying, if at all. And besides, it wasn't as if he was alone in all this. That girl had been so kind as to see that he got the best possible medical care after he supposedly almost died in his own act of kindness toward her. No matter what else happened between them in the future, he did know for sure that he couldn't wait to see her again.

* * *

><p><em>Reviews would be appreciated.<em>


	3. Faint Sparks

**Ronin Warriors: Blood Reign**

_Episode 1 – Ryo_

Chapter 3 – Faint Sparks

The following night, as Seika lay in her bed, no matter how hard she tried to go to sleep, her eyes refused to remain closed. All she could do was stare up at the ceiling and listen to the crickets going about their nightly symphony outside. She'd tossed to the left, then to the right, trying to get in a comfortable-enough position, but all she ended up doing was looking straight up on her back, her hands under her head. Still, as she thought about it, even if she was able to sleep, there was no telling what strange images and experiences might strike her mind this time. Maybe that girl – or woman – would appear again with another message for her. Maybe those flames that licked at her heels before would return and threaten to overwhelm her again. As these ominous ideas emerged in her head, another, more surprising, thought entered her mind as well. Would she be able to face all these mental fears she had if that guy was by her side?

What in the world was she thinking? Seika knew virtually nothing about this lone man. For all she knew he could have been some random terrorist who'd caused those explosions. But that theory was quickly put to rest as she remembered that selfless act he did by saving her and her cousins, complete strangers, from danger. Ever since, it seemed the one thing that was always on her mind was him, for better or worse. On the worse side, it looked like he'd be stuck here until he regained his memory, which could take anywhere from a few days to a few months. And she wasn't sure her aunt and uncle would go for that. Besides that, did he have any family or friends looking for him? Even if everyone had lost a signal for their phones, he had to have some people out there who cared about him.

Still, on the better side, Seika found that she was happy she could do something for the one who'd practically saved her life. And despite his memory loss, he seemed like a likable guy, someone she'd like to be friends with. He seemed so easy to talk to, so nice to be around. Still, she couldn't shake this strange feeling she got whenever she was near him. Like he had something to do with the attacks on the city, even if he wasn't directly involved. She'd had that ability as long as she could remember, being able to sense things about people and even circumstances when no one else would. It sure seemed to help her the night when…

No. Seika shook her head. No matter what she dared not remember that night, the worst night of her life. At that moment, just thinking about it made her right arm hurt. She immediately turned in her bed to her left, stuffing both arms underneath the blanket and covers. Always she hid her right arm from everyone other than her family, sewing longer sleeves onto her short-sleeved shirts and the like. No one, especially this guy, needed to know the secrets she always felt the need to keep. No one needed to pity her for that night that occasionally haunted her even now. Though the memory would never leave her, she'd gotten past it. She knew it.

She had to think of something else, and so quickly turned her mind to the time she'd spent with Snowbell, her beloved horse, earlier that evening. Though true, her chores around the stables weren't always enjoyable, she always smiled when she got close to her favorite horse. And in return, the white mare was always happy to see her. Sometimes she would play with Seika's braids, making her laugh. And she would often prance in place with excitement if she knew they would be going for a ride. It had been a couple days since Seika exercised her. Maybe tomorrow she could fit some time in to do so.

Wait. Was it tomorrow? Seika took a glance at her bedside clock, and her now sleepy eyes widened when she saw it was two in the morning. Would she ever get at least a few hours of sleep? Knowing she probably wouldn't any time soon, Seika sat up, tossed her legs over the side, and stood up. She then walked to the window near her bed, rubbing her face and smoothing out her bed-ridden hair, until she finally looked out into the night.

While she continued to listen to the crickets outside, as she expected, Seika saw that the paddocks were empty. Every night after eight she and her uncle would walk the horses back to their stalls, where most of them would remain until the following morning. She wondered if the guy here knew she lived on a horse farm, and if he liked animals. And right as she was thinking that, Seika put her head in her hand and groaned. While she didn't exactly resent it, she had to wonder why she couldn't even think without letting a thought concerning him cross her mind. It was almost as if her thoughts were trying to tell her something.

But just as that idea emerged, Seika looked back up again, and gasped when she saw what looked like a pair of glowing eyes staring straight at her from a distance. Even in the shadows and darkness of night, she could clearly see those brown, yet bright eyes that she'd come to recognize in only the past day. She could also see the strong feline body covered with white fur striped with black. It was the tiger who'd helped them out only hours before, she was sure of it. But what was he doing here? Sure, he was probably concerned for his master, but if her aunt and uncle saw him, they'd shoot him on sight. Knowing she had to do something to tell him to leave, she stared straight back at him and cocked her head twice to the right, hoping he'd get the message.

Fortunately, he seemed to, because before long, she watched as he turned and headed back through the woods that bordered her home. As soon as he left her sight, Seika allowed herself a sigh of relief before she finally turned around, and decided she was now tired enough to get some sleep. She needed it now more than ever. Luckily, the moment she tucked herself in, flopped her head on the pillow, and closed her eyes, she soon found herself in that strangely comforting, dark world.

The next thing she knew, Seika was hearing the alarm on her bedside clock go off. Without opening her eyes, she groaned, turned over, and began slapping the clock until the alarm was turned off. Unfortunately, as soon as she opened her eyes, not only did she see that it was ten in the morning, but she was also greeted with the bright glare of the morning sun. She immediately wished it was still night so she could get at least another hour or two. Even so, she climbed out of bed and changed into her day clothes. She then went into the hall bathroom she shared with her cousins to brush her hair and rinse her face, before she walked downstairs to the kitchen, where she found her aunt making breakfast.

"Morning!" she called, causing her aunt to turn back toward her. She smiled at her niece.

"Looks like someone slept later than usual," she said in good humor before turning back to her cooking.

That was when Seika remembered, and she frowned. Usually she got up at nine in the morning to help her uncle take the horses out, but she guessed, based on the absence of any type of rambunctiousness that her cousins were helping him instead. Still, she forced her smile back on her face, hoping her aunt might go easy on her.

"I meant to get up earlier," she explained, "but I guess I set it up at ten by accident. Did Uncle Hideo get help anyway?"

"Uh yes," her aunt replied, "Akemi and Hitomi are helping him right now. Then again they could use the extra work without resorting to their usual excuses."

Seika chuckled, since she couldn't agree more, even if she did feel a twinge of guilt at letting one of her usual chores fall on her cousins.

"Listen," her aunt suddenly said, "I don't have much time to talk. I've got to go look at that young man you brought in yesterday, see if he's improved at all."

Seika turned her head sharply at the mention of him. "Did you wake him up already?" she asked, "Did he regain any of his memory?"

"I woke him up just a little while ago," her aunt replied, "gave him something to eat and told him I'd be right back with him. And, no, he still doesn't remember anything. And with the way his head injury looked the last time I looked at it, it could take longer for him to regain his memory than we may think."

"Oh," Seika said as she frowned and hung her head slightly, "That's too bad." Suddenly, her eyebrows raised as she suddenly thought of an idea, one she wasn't sure if her aunt would go for. Still, it seemed like such a good one, she felt she had to at least try. She turned around the face her aunt.

"Actually," she said, mustering up her courage as she spoke, "would it be alright if I went and tended to him? We could even take turns."

As she feared, she saw a look of hesitation on her aunt's face. "I'm not really sure that's such a good idea, Seika."

Not one to give up easily, Seika pressed her. "Please, Aunt Rin? Besides, I'm the reason he's here in the first place. The least I can do is help him recover."

"Seika, I'm afraid you're just not as qualified to do it as I am," her aunt shook her head. But still, Seika tried one more time, feeling the need to win this argument when she didn't often argue with her.

"Look, I know I work at an animal hospital," she said, "but I also happen to know basic first aid, taught oddly enough by you."

That seemed to stop her aunt in her tracks, allowing just a hint of a hopeful smile to make its way onto Seika's face.

"At least let me practice it," she pleaded one more time, "I promise I'll be really careful." She even decided to put one of her hands behind her back and cross two of her fingers for good measure.

Seika watched as her aunt pressed her lips together, obviously thinking really hard about what to say. Seika couldn't help but bite her own lip in anticipation. Before long though, her aunt breathed a sigh and finally said, "Oh, alright. I guess it can't hurt too much. But I don't want any shenanigans going on up there, you hear me?"

Seika's face turned red with confusion and embarrassment at her aunt's words. Did she think she'd just start making out with him as soon as she got up there? Still, even as she was wondering where she got that idea, Seika smiled with relief and replied, "Thanks, Aunt Rin. And I _promise_, I'll behave."

"You'd better," her aunt said as she gave her a critical eye at her sarcasm, "You know where my medical tools are, right?"

"Yeah," Seika nodded, still somewhat embarrassed at what she said before. Then again, a lot of grown up relatives were that way. Even so, she refocused her attention on tending to the young man as she went to look for her aunt's medical supplies, hoping the sense of awkwardness would leave her when she got up there.

* * *

><p>How had he been reduced to this? That was the one question on his mind as he continued to lie in his bed. Not that he was ashamed to be here. Everyone here, so far, had been so nice to him. Not only had they allowed him to stay in their home, but they also tended to his wounds and made him rather comfortable. But still, when would he gain back at least some of his memory? He couldn't allow himself to think he might not at all. As far as he was concerned, that wasn't an option. Until he did start remembering though, at least he was in good hands. He was just beginning to think that when he heard a knock on the door.<p>

"Uh, come in," he called as he propped himself up on his elbows. He'd been expecting Seika's Aunt Rin, but was pleasantly surprised when he saw that the person who walked in was Seika herself. Her face once again wore that smile that somehow always put one on his own.

"Good morning sleepyhead," she said as she entered, leaving the door open.

"Uh, hi," he said as he began to sit himself up. Once she came to his side, he noticed another peculiar thing about her. Without thinking, he said, "You look hot."

Seika stopped dead where she was, and her red cheeks flamed up, making him also feel red in the face at what he just said. "Huh?" she then asked.

"What I mean is, um, you, you look flushed," he quickly recovered himself, trying hard not to stammer. Why did he say something so stupid at such a wrong time?

Luckily, Seika seemed to brush it off quickly. "Oh, well, I'm fine, it's nothing," she assured him. She then set down on the bedside table the small tray she was carrying, one that contained a roll of bandages, scissors, balls of cotton, and a bottle of some sort of liquid. He swallowed a big swallow, but he knew this was necessary, so he might as well be strong and face it like the man he, hopefully, was. Fortunately, as if in answer for a distraction, Seika began talking to him again.

"I know you were probably expecting my aunt," she said, "But I decided to come up instead. What do you think of her, by the way?"

Welcoming the conversation, he replied, "Oh yeah, she's great. She's really nice, seems to know what she's doing when it comes this."

"Like I said," Seika added, "she used to be a trauma nurse." Suddenly though, she frowned as she then asked, "But, she didn't tell you any 'stories,' did she?"_  
><em>

He raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

She gave him an awkward smirk. "Sometimes she likes to tell us all about things she's seen and people she's tended to," she explained. She then made a sick face and added, "Even when we're trying to eat dinner."

Now his eyebrows were raised in sympathy. "Oh man," he said, "That must make you lose your appetites."

Seika's smile slightly returned. "Well, we've sort of gotten used to it," she said, "But when it comes to heart surgery, that's where we draw the line."

"I'd draw it too," he said. Then, just like yesterday, the two shared a series of chuckles. But their humor quickly subsided when Seika gestured him to come forward.

"Lean your head this way toward me," she said, "I need to change your head bandages."

He nodded, and with as little reluctance as possible, he did as she said. He then grit his teeth behind his closed mouth as she slowly began to unwrap the bandages that encircled his head. He also hoped he didn't look sick as he saw the bloodied result and watched as Seika placed the old bandages next to the tray.

"Oh man," he sighed, "I've been through worse than I thought."

Seika nodded in agreement, then looked back at him and said, "When we first got you here, there was a big piece of glass sticking out that side of your head. We had to take it out and stitch the skin back together."

He frowned deeply at the explanation she gave him. "Well, let's hope it didn't touch my brain," he said, trying to lighten the situation.

Seika pressed her lips together, obviously trying not to laugh. "If it did, you'd be long dead by now. Now please sit still, I need to apply this."

He then watched as she opened the bottle and poured the liquid on a swab of cotton. She also placed it in the middle of a new set of bandages. But even though he kept telling himself he had no reason to worry, he couldn't help but ask, "What is that?"

"Disinfectant," she replied, "It might sting a little, but you need to be as still as possible."

_No promises_, he wanted to say. But he kept his mouth shut. He again grit his teeth, but he still let out a slight groan as Seika pressed the new bandages with the disinfectant to his wound. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. It did sting. And a bit more than she said it would. But even so, he kept his head up as she began wrapping the bandages around his head, cutting them with scissors and then keeping them in place with a paper clip. And when he saw the intense concentration on her face, somehow, it made bearing the brief pain seem that much easier.

"You're pretty good at this too, you know," he said, not being able to help but compliment her.

She gave a small smile as soon as she made sure the bandages were secure. "Uh, thanks. You know, I work at an animal hospital. So, believe me when I say I've seen a lot worse than you."

Suddenly interested at where the conversation was going, he asked, "You must like animals then, don't you?"

"I do," Seika nodded eagerly, her pale eyes now bright, "Love 'em. I don't know why but, for some reason I just find them less complicated than people, you know what I mean?"

His eyebrows shot up. At her words, it felt like a light bulb had come on. It was faint, but he couldn't help but agree with Seika. "Uh, yeah," he nodded back, "I think I do, actually."

Having apparently not noticed his small revelation, she gave him a smirk and said, "I think you've also guessed by now that I live on a horse farm."

While she spoke, he heard a sound he'd come to expect since last evening. The occasional distant yet recognizable sound of horses neighing. "Oh, yeah," he replied, "I've been hearing them since yesterday. I've also seen them out in the fields. How many do you own?"

"Oh, I'd say eighteen," Seika replied as she began straightening out the medical supplies she'd brought with her, "I know it seems like a lot, but there's actually a pretty good reason."

When she turned back to face him, most of her smile disappeared. "It's actually a rescue farm," she explained, "Most of the animals here are retired racehorses. Usually their owners will try to adopt them out. But there are also, seedier ones who'd rather sell them to…the slaughter house." Her voice went low as she said those last two words, and she looked slightly away from him too. Even though he couldn't really explain it, he seemed to understand why.

"Oh, I see," he said, knowing that was pretty much all he could offer. And this time, he wasn't going to say anything without thinking about it first. A good thing to, because their were other things about this girl that he continued to find intriguing. Even though she was very likable to be around, and seemed pretty happy and easygoing, he had the feeling she was hiding more than she was letting on. Like the fact that she never mentioned her parents and seemed to live with an aunt and uncle instead. There was also the matter of her strange looking shirt, which had a right sleeve that was longer than the left and looked like it had been sewn on after being bought. Even so, he knew better than to ask about it. Whatever secrets she was keeping, they were hers to reveal in her own time.

Fortunately, she quickly turned the conversation with an attempted smile by saying, "Well, enough about me for now. Do you think you remember anything?"

He tried to smile back, but all he could offer was just the slightest hint of one. "No," he shook his head apologetically, "Still seems pretty blank."

"Have you tried looking at your cellphone?" Seika asked. Then, suddenly she grew a little red in the face as she awkwardly explained, "We found one yesterday sticking out of your pocket. It's right here." She quickly picked it up from the bedside table and gave it to him.

As he held the device in his hand, he pressed one of the buttons. But as he feared it would be, a less than satisfying message appeared on the screen.

"No good," he said with a sigh, "It's locked. And I don't remember the code."

"Well this isn't looking too great," Seika agreed with him as she looked at the same message. Still, she soon brightened and said, "But, we can forget it for now. Besides, I think it's time we at least gave you a name."

"Huh?" he asked, wondering what she was talking about, even though he clearly heard what she said.

"Well, I'm getting a little tired of thinking of you as 'that guy,'" she said with a chuckle as she made air-quotes with her fingers, "We've got to call you something."

He attempted a smile, but he couldn't get one to appear. "But I can't remember my name."

"You could at least try to remember what it sounded like," Seika suggested, "instead of trying to spell it out."

He raised his eyebrows at her, somewhat surprised at how persistent she was, but he eventually decided what she was suggesting couldn't hurt. "Well, I guess I can try," he said. He then closed his eyes as he usually did when he wanted to think without distractions. He searched all of his remaining memories, trying to remember someone's voice calling out his name. But the longer he went without results, the more frustrated he became, until he finally let out a sigh of disappointment.

"I can't get it," he said with a matching tone as he shook his head and opened his eyes, "It's no use."

Seika let out a sigh of her own before asking, "Well, do you have any idea how many letters your name has? Which one it starts with?"

"Um, uh." All he could do was stammer as he once again tried to think. But once again, nothing came to him.

"Wait, let me guess," Seika then said, stopping him, "Does it start with an r, at least?"

He gave her a confused look at her suggestion. "Where'd you get that idea?" he asked.

"Well, there was an r on your shirt when we found you," she pointed out to him, "We can at least start there."

Suddenly, his mouth came open as he realized she was probably right. While he still couldn't remember his name, what Seika said did seem to open a door in his mind, one that could possibly start a road back to his lost memory. He didn't really know what else he might be able to remember, but for now, it did look like a starting point.

"Any more letters you can remember at all?" Seika asked, "Any ideas you can at least try to think of?"

He closed his eyes again for a moment. "I think…" He stopped for a second, telling himself to remain silent as he continued trying, until he thought he might have at least somewhat of a lead. "I think…there might be, two more letters. But, I'm not entirely sure."

"Well then, let me think of one," Seika interrupted him, causing him to open his eyes again, "I don't want you to exhaust yourself."

Now he managed a smile, thinking of her thoughtfulness. He watched as she donned a thinking expression, wondering what name she would come up with. Who knew? If she guessed right, maybe it would jog his memory and he would remember everything else. It wasn't too likely, but he still held onto the notion. Before long, her eyebrows raised, making his own rise as well in the need to know what she'd come up with.

At first, she hesitated. But at his silent urging, she finally asked, "Um, what do you think of Ryo?"

At hearing that name, his eyes instantly widened. While he didn't suddenly start having mental images flashing through his mind, something inside told him he had indeed heard that name before. It may not even have been his, but he grabbed hold of it as if his mental well-being depended on it.

"Uh, yeah," he nodded, "That might work. But um, mind if I ask how you came up with that one?"

Seika shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, I don't know. I guess it was the only one I could think of. But, what do you think?"

"Ryo," he said as he wore a thinking expression on his own face. He knew he'd heard that name at some time in his currently unknown past. He also knew it was better than nothing. He shrugged his shoulders too as he nodded and said, "Yeah, I like it. I just wish I knew for sure, that's all."

"I wish I knew too," Seika nodded back, sympathizing with him, "But, are you sure you still can't remember anything else?"

"No," he, Ryo, said sadly, "Whenever I try to, it's like, my mind just goes blank. Has that ever happened to you?"

"Sometimes," Seika nodded, "But it doesn't usually involve my whole memory." Suddenly, she stopped and added, "Uh, no offense."

Ryo raised his hand up as if to say "none taken," before he went silent. He had at that moment remembered something critical, something that might help them gain a foothold on his memory if nothing else. After all, her aunt used to be a trauma nurse, and if this was a health issue, he might as well speak now about it or not at all.

"Actually," he said, looking back up at her, "last night, while I was sleeping, I had these really weird, bizarre dreams."

"You want to tell me about them?" Seika asked as she sat down on the bed. Something about that made Ryo comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. But he quickly shook his head to clear it of any nonsense, and decided it couldn't hurt to tell her. They didn't seem to make much sense, but for some reason the idea of talking it out made him feel better. Letting out one more sigh, he finally began.

"Well, I was in them. I'm pretty sure it was me. But, it was like I was outside my body and I was watching myself. And, not only that, but there were also some other people in it. I remember there being four others besides me. They were all guys and, they looked about my age. In some parts it looked like we were just laughing and joking around, having a good time. But, then, it looked like we were all in samurai-looking armor fighting off ninja-looking bad guys in a darkened city, one that looked abandoned and ruined. And in some parts of that I even saw a white tiger by my side. I know it doesn't make much sense, and I wish it did but, that's what I saw."

Seika, who seemed intrigued and interested the whole time, looked sympathetically at him. "I know and, I think I get it. I mean, not everything in dreams make sense. My aunt said dreams are the brain's way of categorizing things. But, I will agree that, what you see isn't always what you get. What I mean is, actually, I've been having some pretty weird dreams too lately. Well, I guess one doesn't really count as some but, you know what I'm saying?"

Ryo nodded, and he silently urged her to continue, as he wanted to hear what else she had to say.

"Well, in my dream that I had a couple nights ago," Seika began, "I was running after this little girl dressed in, I'd say, Edo period clothes. But before I could catch up to her, this fire started. I ended up running for my life before I fell down this hill. The next thing I remember was seeing these two samurai fighting right in front of me. One looked more human than the other. But all I wanted to do was leave before the fire could get to me. I ran again, but after a while I came across probably a much older version of that girl, at least I think it was her. And all she said to me was that the tiger would roar when virtue and righteousness shine through."

Looking straight at him with unblinking eyes, she asked him, "You have any idea what that could mean?"

Ryo raised his eyebrows. Something told him that last part was familiar, but he quickly brushed it aside as he said, "You're asking the guy with amnesia. Besides, even without it, how could I possibly interpret other people's dreams?"

Seika nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But, it's like some part of me is telling me to keep trying to make sense of it all."

"Well then," Ryo then said, "I guess all we can hope is that something will come along." Then, in an effort to comfort her, Ryo found himself putting his hand over Seika's. Immediately she looked at what he'd done, and as soon as he saw her red cheeks, he quickly pulled his hand back. "Oh, sorry."

"No, it's alright," Seika assured him, "Actually, I was just thinking, maybe something has already come along."

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked, suddenly curious again, "Have you seen or heard anything?"

Seika looked out the open door, probably to see if there was anyone there, before she turned back to him and asked in a low voice, "Promise you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you?"

Ryo nodded as he began to lean forward, almost like a child desperate to hear the next part of an exciting story.

"Well, last night," Seika started, "when I was in bed. I saw a white tiger out in the woods bordering my home."

Ryo's eyes widened slightly at the thought of a wild animal, for all they knew, out in a forest near a place full of prey in the form of horses, but he let her go on.

"And, actually," she continued, "not long after that car door slammed into you, that same tiger, at least, I believe it was, came out and over to you. He started rubbing his face against yours, and it looked like he was almost mourning you, so, I took it to mean you must be his master."

Ryo's mouth came open at the picture of the scene that was beginning to form in his mind. Could that be why that tiger appeared in his dream? Could he really belong to him? He didn't know why anyone would want to own a white tiger, but if it meant making even some semblance of sense to all these strange dreams, part of him really wanted to latch onto it. "So, is he still out there?" he asked.

"I think so," Seika nodded, "Hopefully my uncle won't find him, because if he does he'll definitely shoot him on sight."

Ryo shook his head in agreement, as he definitely didn't want that to happen. His eyebrows raised again though as he thought of another idea. "Maybe," he said before pausing to consider, "maybe we could go look for him."

Seika looked somewhat surprised. "You're really up for something like that?" she asked.

"Well, it's just an idea," Ryo reminded her, "We could wait until I'm healed enough, say we were going somewhere or something."

"I, I don't know," Seika said, looking reluctant. But before long, her face lit up again, making Ryo wonder what she just thought of.

"Actually, I was just thinking," she said, "With the way you're healing, you could be out of bed and walking in just a couple days. And, if my aunt and uncle say yes, what do you think of going riding with me?"

Ryo raised his eyebrows in interest. "You mean, horseback riding?" he asked.

"Yeah," Seika nodded, smiling, "And, you don't have to do it by yourself. You can sit behind me."

Again, believing her smile to be contagious, Ryo couldn't help but smile back. "Uh, yeah, that'd be great. I'd love to be outside." But his smile disappeared slightly as he then said, "And, like I said, maybe we could look for that tiger."

Seika's own smile lessened as well. "Maybe," she nodded as she shrugged her shoulders again. In that moment, Ryo felt the strange, unexplainable urge to touch her hand to his again. But before he could get the chance, her head shot up and her eyes widened as if remembering something very important all of a sudden.

"What is it?" Ryo asked, masking his just as sudden disappointment.

"I've spent too much time in here," Seika said as she stood up from her seat on the bed, "I usually help my uncle with the horses. If I stay in here any longer he'll come looking for me, and, I definitely don't want him getting any ideas."

As she began gathering the medical tools back onto the tray, Ryo just as quickly started wondering what she was talking about concerning her uncle getting "ideas." But before he could ask her about it, Seika took up the tray into her hands, and gave him one last smile. "Sorry, I just really need to go. We can talk some more later."

"Oh, okay," Ryo nodded, "Um, I'm sorry if I kept you for too long."

"Oh no," Seika shook her head, "It was my fault. I'll see you later." She gave him a wave, but before he could even say goodbye, she hastened away and out the door that stayed open the entire time. Remembering that immediately made Ryo wonder if any of their conversation had been heard.

But, why did he feel so bothered by that? Well, there was the part about possibly looking for that tiger. But that didn't seem to bother him as much as the, other, parts of their conversation. Such as discussing their dreams with one another as though they were close friends, even though they'd known each other for only a day. And why had he felt that need to comfort her by touching hands with her, and twice? Maybe it was a side-effect of all this amnesia, but he couldn't be sure. He was sure though, that they agreed that they were somehow connected, based on the dreams they had, at least. And if he was wrong about that, then he would be certain he was going insane in some way or another. But even so, he was also pretty sure that whenever he saw her and talked with her, he felt any pain that came from his wounds slowly go away. Maybe he was going crazy, but, when had such a notion ever felt so nice?

* * *

><p><em>Reviews would be appreciated.<em>


	4. Red Sky at Night

**Ronin Warriors: Blood Reign**

_Episode 1 – Ryo_

Chapter 4 – Red Sky at Night

Two days later, Seika smiled to herself as she walked out of the barn and into the summer sunlight. Her smile only grew as she thought about where she was headed, and her pace even quickened slightly as she was getting closer to the paddock. There she saw her favorite white horse grazing along with two other horses. She hurried over to the front gate, but she didn't stop there. As soon as she reached the fence, she stepped up onto one of the lower wooden rungs, laid down the bridle and lead she'd brought with her, and rested her elbows on the top as she leaned over. As soon as she was sure she was steady, she called out to her horse with a whistle. The mare's head instantly came up the moment she recognized it, and Seika couldn't help but chuckle as she whinnied and trotted over to her.

Seika reached a hand out and smiled as Snowbell pressed her head against it. For the next few minutes, ones she never kept track of, Seika scratched her under the chin, behind the ears, and under her mane, which she could see needed to be combed through. But no matter how she looked, Snowbell always looked beautiful to her, simply because she was hers. Suddenly, the white mare lowered her head and nudged against Seika's pants pocket.

"Sorry girl," Seika shook her head apologetically, "I don't have anything for you." Deciding to compensate, she scratched the horse under her mane again. But before long, Seika's smile became somewhat mischievous as she immediately forgot why she was here, and thought of something Snowbell might like a little bit more.

She lifted one leg over the fence, and then the other before jumping down into the grass beside Snowbell. She then looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching, before she grabbed a handful of the white mane, and heaved herself up onto the horse's back. As soon as both legs were on either side of the mare's back, and she'd made sure her posture was steady and straight, Seika settled both hands on Snowbell's mane, and gently urged her forward into a walk. After a while, Seika let her go into a trot, then into a canter, and soon the two were moving around the paddock, leaving the other two horses to their grazing.

For a moment, Seika let her head back and allowed her hair and braids to flow behind her. Such rides were anything but unusual to her, and nothing but pure pleasure. Only when she was on the back of a fast horse did she feel so free. For the last few years that she lived here, she would sometimes get up just before dawn and take Snowbell or one of the other horses out for an early morning ride. Other times she would simply ride one of them in the paddock. Her family knew about her equestrian escapades, but for some reason, she almost always felt embarrassed when seen in action. Unfortunately, during this particular ride, such a scene occurred once again as she snapped her head back up when she caught sight of both her cousins headed toward the paddock.

Disappointed that the bliss had been cut short, Seika pulled Snowbell's mane gently back, slowing her to a trot and then back to a walk as she directed her toward the fence where her cousins were now waiting. Both their faces were inquisitive, but Seika could only smile politely, as she wasn't quite sure what they were thinking of.

"I thought I'd catch you out here riding in circles," Akemi said as she dismounted and headed back over to where she'd left the bridle and lead.

Seika raised an eyebrow at her. "I was just about to lead her back to the barn," she assured her. She then smoothed the bridle over Snowbell's face, and gave a nod of thanks to her cousin for opening the gate she began leading the mare through. But the conversation didn't end there.

"Well you'd better hurry," Akemi said, "Dad wants you back in 'cause dinner's almost ready."

Seika raised her head in remembrance. Her uncle had gone back in to see how the cooking was going, while she told him she wanted to go bring Snowbell in. But, come to think of it, now that dinner was being mentioned, she thought herself pretty hungry as well, especially since the sun was now setting.

But that was when Hitomi butted herself in. "I for one think you should get out of that t-shirt and those jeans and into something nicer," she said. Then, with a mischievous grin, she added, "Especially since we're probably gonna have some attractive company."

Seika gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about, Hitomi?" she asked.

Hitomi returned her confused face. "You mean it's not obvious to you by now?" she asked back, incredulous.

"What's not obvious to me?" Seika asked, curious yet also incredulous at once, "I'm no psychic, tell me."

Hitomi let out an "ugh" sound and rolled her eyes before saying, "You like that guy – uh, what do you call him? – Ryo."

Seika made her confused face again. "What do you mean?" she asked, still curious, "Of course I like him."

Looking somewhat frustrated, Hitomi shook her head and replied, "No, I mean _like _him."

Once she realized what she was implying, Seika let her mouth open in disbelief. She knew her cousin deemed herself an expert in relationships, but she didn't think she'd make such wild speculations such as this. "Are you crazy?" she asked, "I can't like him that way, I barely know him."

Hitomi shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "So?" she asked, "I barely knew half the guys I've dated."

"Yeah, but you dated almost all of them only once," Akemi suddenly spoke up.

Hitomi shot her a false smile. "Not helping, sis," she said through clenched teeth.

But Seika wasn't buying it. While she didn't date nearly as often as Hitomi, she made sure she knew the two guys she had dated before even considering the idea. The first never went anywhere, but the other became somewhat serious, until he broke up with her. But both were pretty long ago. And here Hitomi was thinking she'd succumbed to the Florence Nightingale effect, where nurses fell in love with their patients. Now that Hitomi was proposing an idea so outside her train of thought, Seika didn't believe it one bit. "It doesn't matter," she said, "I don't know how you could've thought this up."

"I didn't just think it up!" her cousin defended herself, "Besides, he's cute, he seems sensitive, and you blush every time you talk about him."

Now Seika frowned at her and decided it was her turn to defend herself. "I do not!"

"Do too!" Hitomi exclaimed, "When we get back you can look in the mirror to prove it."

Seika by now had had enough of this. Rolling her eyes and letting out a huff of frustration, she then said, "Forget it. This conversation is over." And once she remembered something important, she also added with an even sterner voice, "And not a word about this to Aunt Rin and Uncle Hideo. Got it?"

Hitomi shrugged her shoulders again, but without the dismissiveness this time. "Duh," she nodded, "Whatever you say, Seika."

Seika let out a small sigh of relief. She knew her cousin wouldn't blab about something she practically dedicated her life to. But as she finally reached the barn and led Snowbell to her stall, she inexplicably found herself contemplating Hitomi's suggestion. Her and Ryo? An item to her cousin? At first it sounded absurd. But the longer she thought about it, the more Seika found she almost liked the idea. Ryo was sort of handsome, with his long, jet black hair and probably the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Yet they also had a lot in common. They both liked animals, were more introverted than extroverted, and every time they talked, they ended up laughing about something. And their dreams – they had seemed so similar. Seika still hadn't let out the thought that it might be a coincidence, yet a part of her told her also that it couldn't be so. What she knew for sure, though, was that neither could be both. Just as their dreams could be a coincidence or not, neither could she like Ryo in that serious way and yet not at the same time.

These thoughts remained in her mind as she walked back to the house and then into the kitchen, where she was greeted by the smell of dinner waiting to be eaten. Seika allowed a smile on her face, believing she'd now found something else to focus on. Fortunately, her aunt and uncle were there to help her do it.

"Something smells good," she said as she walked to the table, which had now been set for all five of them.

"Hope you like it," her uncle called out from his place at the stove, "We're having yosenabe."

"Mmm," Seika said as she went over to the sink to wash her hands. Her aunt was there, and immediately Seika remembered what she wanted to ask her.

"Aunt Rin?" she said as she dried her hands, "You said you were helping Ryo get back on his feet. How's he doing?"

"Oh yes, he's doing great," she replied as she went over to help her husband, "Better than I expected, in fact."

"Oh that's good," Seika nodded, "because, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Um, would it be okay if he came down to eat with us?"

"I don't see why not," her aunt replied, "In fact, I was just about to set a plate for him at the table."

Seika could feel her face light up, and for one reason alone, she insisted. "Cool! He needs some interaction other than what he's getting right now."

"He needs a haircut, that's what he needs," her uncle spoke up suddenly, "Have you seen how long his hair is?"

Seika rolled her eyes. She had a feeling he was going to bring that up sooner or later. Just then, so did Hitomi as she and Akemi walked in.

"So?" her cousin asked, "I like guys with long hair. Makes them look, tougher, I guess."

"Well, I'm about to put the food on the table," her uncle said, "Tell the young man if he wants to eat with us, he needs to get down here fast."

"I'll do it," Seika volunteered. And as she headed toward the stairs, she stopped for a moment to nudge Hitomi with her elbow, reminding her of their agreement. Hitomi gave her a quick nod and Akemi shrugged her shoulders, but Seika was satisfied. Even so, as she made it up the stairs to the second floor, Seika had the feeling that her thoughts on their earlier conversation would stay longer than she first believed.

* * *

><p>Ryo thought about what had happened that day as he pulled on his jeans. He didn't think he could have been more thankful to Seika and her Aunt Rin for all they had done to help him. He still hadn't regained his memory, but considering that his wounds were healing fast and he was now up and walking, that seemed like a minor loss. All he knew was that what had happened just a few days ago could've been much worse. Still, the more he thought about it, he didn't know exactly what kind of person he was before that, but he had the strong feeling that if saving those girls' lives meant losing his own, it would have been worth it. But suddenly, he started thinking that if he'd died, he would never have met Seika, never would have gotten to be with her all those times he had.<p>

Immediately, Ryo shook his head. He may have liked Seika, but he also knew her for less than a week. Could he really even let himself start thinking about her in that way? Well, he had to admit he did have reasons. For starters, she was very pretty, with her long, sugar pink hair and her large pale, purple eyes. And she was pretty easy to talk to. They seemed to have a lot in common, and they agreed that the dreams they had were really similar. But as far as he currently knew, Ryo wasn't a ladies man. Besides, she might even have a boyfriend. Then again, if she did, why didn't she mention it? All Ryo could do was groan. He was far from an expert when it came to things like this. Yet he also knew that when an appropriate time came, he'd have to figure it out.

Just then, his train of thought was brought to a halt when he heard a knock on his door. Ryo widened his eyes. He may have been appreciative to Seika and her aunt, but he wasn't about to let them catch him like this. He cleared his throat and called, "Hello?"

"Hey Ryo?" He recognized that voice immediately. "It's me, Seika. Um, how've you been doing?"

"Oh, great!" Ryo called back as he began looking for a shirt in the closet, "I'm finally able to walk around. Thanks for asking."

"I'm glad," Seika said, "Actually, I was wondering, would you like to come down and have dinner with us? We're about to start so, you'd better hurry."

Ryo's head turned toward the still closed door as soon as he heard her suggestion, and instantly wondered if this was her idea or her family's. "Uh, yeah," he replied, "That'd be great, thanks! Just, let me get dressed. It won't take me too long."

Luckily, right then he'd found a shirt, and quickly pulled it on. After pulled on socks and shoes as well, he made it over to the door. But as soon as he opened it, he was greeted by the strange sight of Seika's blushed cheeks. He didn't know what she was thinking about, but he soon ended the awkwardness by closing the door.

"Uh, thank you for inviting me," he smiled at her, hoping to make her feel less embarrassed, "What are we having?"

"Oh, um, we're having yosenabe," Seika replied after a moment and a slight shake of the head, "Hope you like it."

Ryo let his smile grow. "Sounds good to me," he said, "Besides, I could use some time out of my room."

Seika finally smiled herself, even chuckled. "That's good," she nodded in agreement, "I'd be the same way if I was in there for three days."

Ryo couldn't help but chuckle back. But just as he was about to go downstairs, Seika put her hand to his chest to stop him.

"Wait," she said, "Let me help you. No offense, but, you might end up falling."

Ryo raised his eyebrows at her concern. Part of him wanted to reject her offer, to say that he was feeling and walking fine. But he also knew she was trying to help, and it was just a trip down the stairs. And, for some reason, he liked the feel of her touch. For a moment, he bit his lip at the thought. Resisting the urge to shake his head in order to clear it, he instead nodded and said, "Alright. If it makes you feel better."

Seika nodded back. And as Ryo grabbed onto the rail, she grabbed hold of his arm and began helping him down to the kitchen. At one point, Ryo would have missed a step and maybe have fallen down if he hadn't felt something was wrong with his foot. What was wrong with him this evening? At first he thought he might just be a little dizzy from being hungry. Yet another part of him insisted he hadn't started feeling this way until Seika was touching him. And for some reason, just trying to weigh the two possible reasons in his mind made this the longest trip down a flight of stairs in his life.

Suddenly, he regained his senses when he smelled the food that was now being put on the table. Immediately, he felt more in control of himself, and glad when he realized he and Seika had finally reached the bottom of the stairs and had made it into the kitchen. But what instantly made it all awkward was the fact that Seika's entire family was now staring at them. Fortunately, Seika's Aunt Rin quickly broke the silence.

"Thank you for joining us, Ryo," she said in a kind tone, "It was a great idea for Seika to invite you down, don't you think?"

Grateful for her intervention, Ryo smiled and nodded. "Yeah. And, considering everything else you've all done for me, I thank you."

"Pleasure's ours," Seika's uncle said, "Now, I hope you like yosenabe, 'cause that's what we're having. And I also hope you like our cooking."

Everyone laughed, even Seika, who until now had been silent. "I'm sure he'll love it, Uncle," she assured him. Just then though, she looked at Ryo and, realizing she was still holding onto his arm, guided him over to the nearest available chair on the left. "Here," she said, "You can sit here, Ryo."

"Oh, thanks," Ryo said as he sat down. Right after he found his seat, Seika took her own in the chair next to him. But just as he did, the sound of someone emitting a chuckle reached his ears. He looked to where he believed it came from across the table, where Seika's cousins were sitting, and watched as Akemi nudged her sister Hitomi in the elbow. Immediately he felt confused. But he didn't believe it was his place to ask, so he kept silent.

But not long after they began eating, and agreeing with Seika that her family's cooking was excellent, Ryo suddenly remembered something important, and could stay silent no longer. Why he recalled it just now, he couldn't guess. Still, he was unsure of whether he should bring it up aloud, so he leaned over to Seika and asked in a voice only the two could hear, "Hey, Seika, have you talked with your aunt and uncle about taking me horseback riding?"

Seika immediately turned her head toward him, her eyes wide with what seemed to be recollection. She quickly swallowed the food in her mouth, and after a moment of hesitation, she shook her head in apology. "No, I'm sorry," she replied with a matching tone of voice, "I forgot."

Not wishing to cause her further alarm, Ryo gave her a soft smile and said, "It's alright. You don't have to bring it up now if you don't want to."

Seika shook her head again. "No," she insisted, "I promised you." She then sat up straight, and cleared her throat before addressing her aunt.

"Um, Aunt Rin," she said, slightly nervous, "Ryo and I were talking a couple days ago, and, would it be alright if I took him for a short ride on Snowbell after dinner?"

Her aunt raised her eyebrows at her niece. But before she could reply, her uncle spoke up his own opinion.

"You mean like, let him ride behind you?" he asked, causing all heads to turn toward him, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

But Seika wasn't finished. "He's been healing really well," she said, "Better than even Aunt Rin thought. And it wouldn't be for too long. Besides, I promised him."

She turned back toward her aunt, a hopeful look on her face. But to both hers and Ryo's displeasure, she was frowning.

"Seika," she then said, "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep. And I keep telling you that, don't I?"

Ryo frowned as well as he saw Seika's hope begin to fade. Her shoulders slumping, and her own mouth falling, she asked, "So, you're not going to let us?"

Her aunt let out a sigh. But then, as she donned a thinking expression, Ryo saw Seika's smile slightly return. "Well," her aunt said after a while, "if you agree you'll be back before eight, and that you'll keep the ride short and safe, well then, I suppose it's alright with me."

At that moment, Seika's face immediately lit up, causing Ryo's own to do the same. But just then, as if she knew the deal wasn't sealed until both her aunt and uncle said yes, Seika quickly turned back toward the man of the house, a questioning look on her face.

For a second, her uncle bit his lip. But after looking as though he too was thinking about it for a while, he finally shrugged his shoulders and said, "I guess it can't hurt too much if your aunt says so. I just don't want to think about anything going wrong with the two of you."

Seika raised her eyebrows at him. Was she thinking the same as Ryo now was? And if so, what did her uncle mean by what he just said? Immediately, it seemed both their trains of thought were broken when they heard a slurping noise across the table, where Ryo saw that Hitomi was trying to get the noodles off her plate and into her mouth. Heads immediately turned her way, and before long, everyone broke into chuckles and even a laugh or two. Just as quickly Ryo felt almost thankful that he no longer had to think about what Seika's uncle had said. All that seemed to matter what that both he and her aunt said yes. And he found himself eagerly awaiting the ride with her.

Fortunately, dinner didn't last too long. But by the time Ryo and Seika finally headed out the house and toward the barn, Ryo wondered if they'd have time to ride at all, since the sun seemed to be rapidly setting. Still, as soon as he felt the fresh air and natural scents hit his face, he felt instantly the most alive since he first woke up in that room in Seika's house. He had the feeling he would be even more so once he was riding with Seika. When he saw she was more than half a dozen steps ahead of him, he quickly came up to her side.

"You said we were going to ride Snowbell?" he asked her, "I don't think you've told me much about that horse."

Seika chuckled. "No worries," she said, "You'll like her. But you're going to have to let me do most of the riding, okay?"

"I got ya," Ryo nodded. And before long, they'd made it to the barn doors. Using every ounce of her strength, Seika pulled one of the massive sliding doors open, and the two were then greeted by the smells of leather and hay, and the whinnies and huffs from the horses in their stalls. One of them which stood in the middle of the barn immediately caught Ryo's eye, and that was because this one was different from the rest. This one was probably the whitest horse he'd ever seen, while the rest of them were dark colors. Knowing that fact alone, he guessed that this was Snowbell. And he knew he was right as he watched Seika walk over to her, and the white horse whinny in delight upon seeing her.

As he did before, Ryo soon rejoined her side again. And once he did, he found himself staring into the blue eyes of this most beautiful creature. Only when he heard Seika chuckle again, did he break himself out of his semi-trance.

"I was the same way when I first met her," she explained, "There aren't many truly white horses. Most of the ones you think are white are actually grey."

Ryo immediately felt confused at wondering what the difference was. But he decided to ask her something else. "Well then, how did you get her?"

"My uncle gave her to me as a birthday present when I turned thirteen," Seika explained as she began stroking the mare's face, "She was about six months old then. And ever since I pretty much doted on her. I'm probably the only one who's allowed to ride her."

Ryo raised his eyebrows in concern. "Then, how do you know she'll let me ride her?" he asked.

"Simple," Seika smiled, "I just ask her." Suddenly though, her smile sank slightly, and she said, "You know, we don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Ryo frowned, and immediately gave voice to the question that then emerged in his mind. "What are you talking about? Why would I not want to go now?"

Seika let out a sad sigh. "Well, I don't know," she replied in a soft voice only the two of them could hear, "I mean, if you somehow got hurt again during this ride, I don't know what I'd do…" As her voice trailed off, she hung her head, moving only to tuck both her braids behind her ears. Ryo didn't really know why she was suddenly thinking of this, but he did know that he wanted to see her smile again. He rested one hand on her shoulder, and as he hoped, she lifted her face back up at him, allowing him to see a faint sparkle in her pale eyes.

"Well then," he said, trying not to stammer, "I guess there's only one way to find out."

After a moment of almost dead silence spent with the two practically staring at each other, neither moving, Seika finally smiled, and she nodded. "You're right. I don't know what's got me so worried. Let me go get the bridle."

Relieved that she now seemed to be feeling better, Ryo raised her eyebrows at her as she walked toward a room across from Snowbell's stall. "No saddle?"

"I don't usually ride with a saddle," Seika replied, shrugging her shoulders, "Plus, if you think about it, it might be a little bit easier for two people without it."

Just a few minutes later, she reappeared with a bridle over her shoulder. She then entered the stall and put it over the now eager mare's head. Ryo followed Seika as she led the horse out, all the way to the dusk of the twilight where they stopped just in front of the barn. And when Seika once again pulled on the heavy door and closed it, it seemed as though she, Ryo, and Snowbell were finally ready to go.

"I'll get on first," Seika said. Ryo nodded, and watched as she effortlessly jumped and lifted her leg over Snowbell's back. She then reached out her hand, allowing Ryo to take it. After a few grunts and an awkward jump, Ryo finally managed to find a seat behind Seika. But just as he was wrapping his arms around her waist to steady himself, Ryo frowned as he felt her almost spontaneously twitch against him.

"What?" he asked, wondering what just happened, "Is something wrong? Should I scoot back a little?"

Immediately, Seika shook her head. "No," she replied, "No. I'm just not use to riding with someone behind me, that's all."

After a moment, she then gathered the reins in her hands, and turned around just slightly enough to say, "Just keep your knees locked in to her sides. It usually means the difference between staying on and falling off."

And before either of them could say anything else, Seika clicked her tongue twice, and Snowbell began to move forward in a gentle walk. Away she carried them from the direction of the house to that toward the woods, just the two of them and no one else. All that seemed to await them now was the darkness of the forest ahead, and for some reason Ryo didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Still, as long as Seika was with him, he couldn't help but believe things might go smoothly.

* * *

><p>As she and Ryo rode on ahead through the woods, Seika didn't know what was going on with her. Why did she jump like that when Ryo wrapped his arms around her waist? She insisted it was because she wasn't used to riding with another person, like she told him. But she couldn't remember that happening at any other time in her life. As they continued on forward though, all Seika could feel on her face was the warmth that usually accompanied a blush. She was thankful that Ryo couldn't see her, and she forced herself to remain calm and enjoy the ride while it lasted.<p>

Just then, she felt Ryo lean forward and heard him ask, "Um, listen, do you mind if we go a little faster?"

Seika raised her eyebrows, until she realized that had been walking for a while now. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Ryo replied, "I want to know what it's like." Seika could hear the eagerness, even if it was faint, in his voice. She knew he was still recovering from his wounds and didn't want him to have to start over, yet she still couldn't find it in herself to refuse him. She tightened her grip on the reins.

"Okay," she said, "Hold on." And with a few more clicks of the tongue and a gentle nudge in the mare's sides, Snowbell immediately got the message. Before they knew it, she quickened her pace, until they were finally traveling at a smooth yet fast canter.

Seika instantly felt the wild wind press against her face and hair, and just as quickly remembered the joy riding at such a speed could bring her. It wasn't long before she let out a chuckle and then a laugh. Her laughter only increased when Ryo joined in with her, as did her sheer happiness and pleasure. For some reason, as they began riding through the now familiar path with trees on either side, which eventually led to a more open environment, Seika couldn't recall a time when she felt such bliss, even when she was out riding like she was now. For reasons which escaped her, having Ryo by her side, even though he'd probably never ridden before, made her feel content beyond measuring. All feelings of anxiety and nervousness melted away with the setting sun. It was as though she'd reached heaven simply by doing this with him, and now that she'd had it, Seika found she didn't want it to end. At least, not any time soon.

The path eventually led them out of the forest and onto a road beside a series of fields, with countless trees and even mountains greeting them from the distance. And at the heart of it all lay the golden, simmering sun that seemed to be in the final setting stages. Seika had traveled this road before, but never had it looked so beautiful. Still, not long after they made it down what she remembered to be the middle of the road, she had the feeling that Ryo was probably now wanting to stop.

Raising her voice so he could hear her over the wind, she asked, "I think it's time we rested for a while, what do you think?"

"I don't mind," Ryo replied with the same effort, "If you want to stop, that's alright with me."

Seika nodded, and before long, she guided Snowbell over to a large field she recognized. She then pulled her to a trot, a walk, and then finally to a complete stop. Once she was sure it was safe, Seika turned around and nodded to Ryo, allowing him to ease off the white mare, while she jumped off as easily as she jumped on. Now that she was no longer carrying riders, Snowbell dipped her head toward the grass and started to graze. Meanwhile, Seika and Ryo walked forward to look for a spot where they could sit for a while. They eventually found a large slab of rock, and decided it would be good enough. Soon, they were sitting side by side, Ryo on his back staring up at the sky, while Seika sat up hugging her knees to her chest.

"I'll tell you," Ryo then said, "That was incredible." He then turned toward her and asked, "How often do you do that?"

Seika couldn't help but smile and shrug her shoulders, "Almost every chance I get. I've been riding for years."

Ryo smiled back and turned his head to look back up at the darkening sky. "Well, thanks a lot. That was…that was great."

Sensing this might also connect them in some way, Seika laid down as well, on her side, and asked, "Makes you feel like all your troubles have gone away, doesn't it?"

Ryo turned on his side toward her, making her smile again. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess that's it," he nodded, "I mean, I know I still don't remember a lot of things, but, I can't remember a time I felt so, so peaceful. And, to be honest, I don't know if it's because of the ride or…because I was riding with you."

Now Seika felt the reddest in the face she ever felt, but she feared it was too late to turn back around, because Ryo might have already seen it. All she could do now was ask him, "Uh, what…what exactly do you mean, Ryo?"

For a moment, Ryo looked as though he was searching for the right words. But before too long, he finally replied, "Well, you've been so nice to me, ever since you found me. I mean, I know we've only known each other for a few days but, it seems like I've gotten to know you so well."

As soon as she heard him say so, Seika felt her smile sink as she found something they finally seemed to disagree on. "I don't know if I'd say that."

"Hmm?" Ryo raised his eyebrows in concern at her. Just like that, as if he could already see through her, she felt a sting on her right arm.

"The thing is," she explained uneasily, "There are still some things you don't know about me. Things you would probably find, less, glamorous."

"What are you talking about?" Ryo asked as he propped himself up on his elbows, "What are you afraid to tell me?"

Seika shook her head and looked away. "It's nothing that affects you," she replied. At that moment, she closed her eyes. And right when she did, she could see the brightness of flames, the piercing screams from both her and elsewhere, and the feeling that her arm was burning again. Immediately, she clutched it to her chest. But when she opened her eyes again, the pain didn't immediately disappear. "I've been through a lot in the past," she then said, "Let's just keep it at that."

"Are you sure?" Ryo asked, making Seika realize he was now only inches away from her, "You've told me so much else."

Seika nodded in reply. She couldn't tell him something that would cause him such grief as to pity her. She'd outgrown pity. All she wanted was to forget that horrible night, but no matter what she did, it seemed she would not be allowed to. Even when she looked toward the sky in the west, she didn't think it was worth it to point out what was happening right in front of them. But a faint spark of hope within her told her it had to be at least worth a try. After a moment, Seika decided to heed to the latter, and pointed forward.

"Look," she said, hoping to sound eager, "The sun's about to go completely over the horizon. Can you see?"

Ryo raised himself up just as she did, and Seika smiled as he looked toward the sky, away from her. "Yeah," he nodded, "Look at all those colors."

Seika's smile grew. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, "People don't seem to take the time to just go outside and look."

"I know," Ryo nodded again, "And see, the clouds are mostly red too. So it looks like we'll get good weather tomorrow."

Seika leaned forward, and grinned when she saw he was right. "Yeah, and not just red," she said, "See? There's also purple and yellow and pink." As she pointed them out to him one by one, Seika found herself truly marveling at the sight. Against the dark blue of dusk, with the barely visible moon and stars, she didn't think she'd seen such an amazing spectrum of different colors, all splashed together as if they were being painted on the canvas of the sky by a master artist. And it all resulted in a simple word called twilight.

"Just like your hair," Ryo then said, breaking her out of her wondrous gaze. She turned to him and asked him what he meant simply by a questioning look.

"Pink," he replied, "Just like your hair." At his words, before she completely knew it, it seemed to Seika as if the world stood still, as though time had stopped completely. It seemed all the two of them could do now was just gaze into each others eyes, Seika into Ryo's blue, and Ryo into Seika's purple. And almost as if their bodies knew before their minds, their heads slowly began to come closer, little by little, to the other. Seika closed her eyes, knowing, yet not knowing at the same time, what was about to happen. But suddenly, just as it seemed their lips were about to touch, Seika could feel Ryo pull away. She opened her eyes again, and any trace of a smile she might have had fled when she saw his eyes wide with alarm.

"Something's wrong," Ryo replied before she could ask, "I smell something. Almost, almost like smoke." Immediately, Seika felt the same alarm as Ryo quickly got back up on his feet and helped pull her back up as well. She watched as he then leaned forward and squinted his eyes, almost as if he were trying to spot something in the far distance. She soon found herself searching too. And before long, they both caught sight of something that instantly sent a shiver up Seika's spine.

A trail of black, bellowing smoke, swirling up to the sky as if from a train, could be seen all along a single patch of forest which seemed to be only a few miles away. Seika didn't want to believe it at first, but as worst case scenarios filled her mind, it wasn't until Ryo said the words himself that she finally felt her heart be seized by a hand of pure fear. "A fire," she heard him say, almost as though it was an echo, "It's a mountain fire."

* * *

><p><em>Reviews would be appreciated.<em>


	5. Wildfire Strikes

**Ronin Warriors: Blood Reign**

_Episode 1 – Ryo_

Chapter 5 – Wildfire Strikes

Seika didn't know what to say, but it didn't matter. Her throat was too dry to allow her to speak, so heavy was her disbelief. How it happened so fast, she didn't know. But she did know that possibly her worst fear in the world was probably heading toward her own home at this very moment. Her immediate desire to survive told her to flee, but the need to see her family safe pulled her back and kept her feet planted to the ground. To steady herself so she could think, Seika pressed her hand on Ryo's shoulder, which suddenly felt strong, and asked uneasily, "Wh-, what do you think we should do?"

To her surprise, Ryo took her by her shoulder and held her close to his side, making her raise her eyebrows in confusion and her heart beat against her chest in a whole swirl of emotions. But she quickly shook her head in order to hear what Ryo would say.

"Well, first off we have to figure out where it's headed," he replied, "If it's headed back toward your home, we need to get back and warn everybody."

Seika nodded in agreement, hoping they could get back before the fire even came close to her home. It was past time that they should have been heading back anyway. But even as she was thinking that, her eye caught something familiar. She swiftly turned back, and her eyes widened with fright when she saw her worst fear. There was another chain of smoke headed right in the direction of the farm. "Look!" she pointed it out to Ryo, "It's more smoke! Can you see it?!"

Ryo looked in the direction Seika pointed, and his own eyes widened just as large as hers did. In that moment she knew he felt the same fear she did.

"Okay, we have got to get back now!" he exclaimed. He then began turning his head left and right before asking, "Where's Snowbell?" Before Seika could answer though, Ryo hurried toward the white mare, whose head was now up from the ground, probably from smelling the smoke as well. But Seika probably wouldn't have answered anyway, because at that moment she found she couldn't move. Despite the heat she was now beginning to feel, she felt frozen where she stood, paralyzed by the fear she was suddenly feeling. Not just from the notion of the fire making its way toward her home and family, but from what she knew well she would have to face. Her heart pounded even harder, and it seemed even Ryo noticed. When he turned to face her, a questioning look was on his face.

"Seika?" he asked, causing her to keep looking straight at him, "Seika, what's wrong?"

Seika's mouth hung open as she tried frantically to think of an explanation. But it wasn't long before one spilled out of her mouth. "Nothing," she shook her head, "It's nothing. I'm just trying to process all this. But, you're right, we need to get moving."

When he seemed to be satisfied with her answer, Seika forced her feet to move. Once she did, she then hastened to join his side at Snowbell. She then grabbed a fistful of the horse's mane and leaped on before helping Ryo get back on behind her. Seika gathered the reins in her hands and again felt Ryo's hands as they wrapped around her waist, but she was already nervous and didn't jump this time.

Once she was sure her posture was steady, she turned around in her seat so he could hear her and asked, "You ready?"

Ryo nodded. "Yeah," he breathed, "Let's go!" Though hesitant, Seika grit her teeth behind her closed mouth and ordered her fears to rest for the time being. Gripping the reins tight, she gently kicked Snowbell's sides, letting her know they wanted to go fast. Snowbell needed no such reminder. Her head tossed, and with a whinny of nervousness, she immediately set off into the fastest canter Seika would allow.

Together they fled back down the dirt path, past the fields, and then re-entering the trees. As Ryo leaned against her, Seika bit her lip as she realized she could feel his heart beating wildly against her back. For the longest minute of her life, not only did it seem like it was taking forever to get back to her home, but it seemed as if their hearts were beating as one. As she continued to press Snowbell on and pray they'd make it in time, Seika realized she could at least find comfort in knowing she wasn't alone, both physically and emotionally.

But suddenly, she heard slight frustration in Ryo's voice as he then asked, "No offense but, can't she go any faster?"

Seika raised her voice again as she replied, "This is the fastest she can go without the risk of you getting knocked off!"

But as she was saying so, Snowbell whinnied again, more anxiously this time, and Seika could feel her getting uneasy beneath her. She didn't know if it was the mare reacting to her own anxiety, or Snowbell getting more agitated about getting closer to the smoke, but Seika knew she had to calm her before anything could go wrong.

"Come on, girl," she said in the calmest voice she could muster, "It's not much further."

For the time, Snowbell relaxed and kept going at the same speed she'd gone for the last while. But right when Seika believed they might make it to her home in time, her heart sank at the sight she saw and the realization that allowing her hope to grow was a big mistake. She slowed Snowbell down when she realized they were coming to the top of a small hill. But as she did, Seika's mouth fell open and she thought she might fall off her horse when she saw the wall of bright, crackling, monstrous fire flaring up just a few yards in front of them. Worse, it seemed to stretch for far longer in either direction, left or right. The only thing that snapped her out of her frightened trance was the realization that she had calm the mare down again, as she was now the most agitated she'd been all evening.

"This isn't good!" Seika called out as Snowbell whinnied and began prancing slightly in place, "We're trapped!"

"Wait!" Ryo shouted as he then slipped off of Snowbell and stood beside them, "We might have a chance!" He looked to the left, and after a moment he shook his head. Then he turned his head to the right, where he pointed that way and said, "We might have to go upwind!"

Seika's mouth fell open further in fearful disbelief. What was this previously sane man now thinking. "What? Are you crazy?!" she asked hysterically.

"It's too dangerous to go the other way!" Ryo replied, "If we do we might get even more trapped with no possible way out! Come on, we have to hurry!"

Seika couldn't believe what she was hearing. The one who had nearly kissed her earlier was now asking her to face the last thing in the world she wished. She didn't know what had happened between them, but she knew for sure that if she felt fear seize her by the heart before, now it was sheer terror. She immediately felt the sting in her arm again, so much that it caused her to wince, and she just as quickly backed away from Ryo's touch. Before she completely knew it, she had resolved in her mind that she couldn't relive the night when she'd lost so much, couldn't go through all the pain that at the time she was certain would cause her death.

Before long though, she realized that Ryo was staring at her again with concerned eyes. "Seika?" he asked in a matching tone of voice.

Now that she knew she had to give an answer, Seika shook her head vehemently. "No Ryo!" she exclaimed, "I can't! I can't do this!"

"What are you talking about?" Ryo asked her, incredulous. Seika found she couldn't blame him, but she shook her head again.

"I, I'm afraid, alright!" she replied, giving the best answer she could come up with. But to her growing frustration, Ryo still wouldn't leave her alone.

"Wha-, Seika, don't you want to see your family safe?" he asked her, forcing her to stop and think for a moment. It seemed as if she was being pushed and pulled by equally strong forces. On the one hand, Ryo was right. She did desire to see the only family she had left safe. But on the other, the fire ahead had grown big, hot, and threatening, just like the fire she'd faced so many years ago. Years that seemed to return to her immediately, right before her eyes. The fear once again seized her in the innermost parts of her, invoking the need to either fight, flee, or freeze. She obviously couldn't fight the fire, or the terror that seemed to shadow her every step. She couldn't freeze either. With both options unavailable, it looked like the only thing Seika could do was what her horse was so eager to do now: run.

"I do but…!" She frantically searched for the right words. "This is all too much! I'm sorry!" And before she completely knew what she was doing, Seika had gathered the reins in her hands, turned Snowbell in the opposite direction, and quickly urged her off into a fast canter. She did her best to close her ears to the pleas Ryo called out from behind to her.

"Wait! Seika!" But her heart and eyes stung as she heard him nonetheless. Even so, now that Snowbell was now riding fast again, all Seika could do was face what she'd done as surely as she might face some of the fire. Besides, she told herself, he wouldn't understand. But even as she thought that, she still felt the tears as they slid down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>As Seika took off on Snowbell, Ryo called out to her. He even ran after her to try and grab her hand again, to try and get her to come back, but it was no use. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The girl who seemed to brave before, who even admitted she wanted to see her family safe, had suddenly turned away and fled like a wild animal. As Ryo finally came to a stop, his mouth fell open when he remembered the words she said to him just a while ago. And, as much as it pained him to admit, they were true. There were still things about her he didn't know. But just then, that was when another thought occurred to him. Could one of those unknown things have caused her to run away like that?<p>

Suddenly, Ryo's train of thought was broken when he heard a cracking sound behind him. He turned around and watched as a tree just a few yards away from him gave in to the fire, and came crashing down through the middle of the wall. As the fire quickly began to devour it, Ryo suddenly realized that, as much as he wanted to help Seika, they still had no idea about the wellbeing of her family. At least he knew she was somewhat safe, and she obviously knew how to ride a horse. Maybe he could trust Snowbell to keep her safe while he went to look for her family. It was a gamble, but for the time being, it seemed like one he had to take.

With reluctance, Ryo forced his feet to move forward, and he soon found himself racing alone through the woods, with near endless forest stretching beyond on his right, and a wall of pure heat and destruction to his left. As he felt the adrenaline course through his body, he forced himself to keep breathing and wipe the sweat away from his forehead. He told himself to run faster. For all he knew, the speed he was going could have meant the difference between life and death for these people who'd been so nice to him these last few days. He grit his teeth and kept moving.

But just then, almost as if out of nowhere, he felt a big hand wrap around his neck, and slam him against a tree. He let out a coughing fit of shock and then clawed at the hand that was now holding him, wondering who, or what, could have done this. But it seemed to be no use. The hand was too strong. Suddenly though, the sound of evil laughter right in front of him forced Ryo to open his eyes. What he saw made him gasp in even further shock. The one holding him against the tree looked tall and menacing, wearing armor like that a samurai would wear, but the rest of his body seemed as though to be made of fire itself. Ryo widened his eyes at this demonic looking being, wondering what had just happened, and what all of this meant.

_"Where is she?!"_ the fire soldier then asked in a voice that certainly matched his appearance, _"Where is the girl?!"_

What girl were they talking about? Ryo could only silently ask that as he still tried to free himself from the soldiers choking hold. But it wasn't too long as his eyes widened in surprised realization. Was he talking about Seika? If so, why would he want to know where she is? Suddenly, even though he still had no idea what was going on, Ryo knew that, no matter who this demon was talking about, he couldn't say anything. Not if he wanted Seika to be out of harm's way.

"I…I…" he tried to say as he struggled to breathe, "I don't know what you're talking about!" He let out a pained groan and another loud cough as the fire soldier only tightened his grip around his neck and shoved him even further against the tree.

_"You're lying!"_ Ryo heard him say, _"I saw you earlier with that girl who lives around here! You know where she is! Now tell me!"_

Even though he knew he might face further torture, Ryo kept playing dumb. "I don't know!" he shouted as loud as he could, "I don't know!"

The fire demon only squeezed tighter. Ryo grit his teeth and groaned again as he kept trying to get this guy to release him, even though his strength was fading by the second. Still, he managed to hear the soldier as he said, _"I should have known a Ronin Warrior wouldn't try to save his own skin!"_

Despite his fleeting strength, Ryo's eyes flashed wide open in surprise. What was this guy calling him? A…Ronin Warrior? Why did that term seem so familiar to him? After attempting to clear his throat, he asked in the most of a voice he could muster, "What…what are you talking about?!"

As soon as he managed to speak, the soldier confused him further by laughing maniacally. _"Don't tell me you don't remember who you once were?!"_ he asked Ryo, obviously incredulous. What he didn't know was that Ryo was equally incredulous. But he couldn't ask again what he meant. His voice had completely disappeared. He could only watch as the scene before him got worse. The demonically clothed soldier leaned forward until their faces were only inches from each other, and snarled in a voice even more menacing than before, _"Whether you remember or not, I have a way to make you tell me where she is!"_

A way? What did he mean he had a way? What could he use to get this information out of Ryo? Before Ryo could think anymore on any of these questions though, he quickly realized he'd fallen to his knees and that the soldier's death grip had released itself from his neck. Feeling like he'd been holding his breath for far too long, he put both of his hands to his neck and coughed as hard as he could in an attempt to get it back. Even so, all of his efforts eventually proved to be in vain. The next thing Ryo knew, he felt a sharp pain at the top of his head, and he'd been thrown forward into an ominous world of darkness.

How long, or short, he stayed in that world, he didn't know. What he did know was that when it seemed he'd finally regained his senses, Ryo felt like he was again being held against something. Something hard. But it wasn't a hand that was holding him this time. He knew that much. But he had no way of knowing about where that faraway voice suddenly came from. _"Wake up!"_ it seemed to say, _"Wake up you weak-minded fool!"_ It sounded harsh and not friendly at all. Obviously not an ally, Ryo deduced. It was only confirmed further when he felt a hard punch suddenly nail him right in the jaw, instantly awakening him from his half-slumber.

Ryo let out a painful groan and tasted the bitter, metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He tried to move his hand up to see the damage done, but his hand wouldn't move. Nor would his other. He tried to move other parts of his body, but found that it was all useless, that he was tied up against something. He then heard the snarl of what he assumed to be the one who punched him, probably about to do it again. He braced himself for another painful blow to his face, but it never came. Instead, he heard a new voice say, _"Now wait a minute!"_ Some big hand then grabbed his face by both cheeks and held it up, allowing Ryo to see, if barely, two other men dressed eerily similar to the demon soldier he'd previously seen.

_"See, he's awake,"_ the one who was holding him up said. Although Ryo was somewhat thankful to the one who kept him from getting hurt again, he knew he'd become a prisoner as his head was again allowed to hang. He then realized that he'd woken up to being tied against a big tree with a mass of rope, which seemed strong enough to hold him tight against the tree no matter how hard he moved. But just then, now that he'd discovered where he was, Ryo decided it was time to get a look at his captors. He raised his head up, and there, right in front of him, was the fire demon walking toward him, hands clapping slowly.

_"Excellent work, boys,"_ he said. He then turned his attention directly to Ryo, who grit his teeth behind his pressed together lips, and let out a soft but angry snarl. He resolved that, no matter what trick this lord of demons had up his sleeve, he would not surrender to his evil domination. He was certain of it as the soldier leaned forward until their faces were only inches away from each other, just like before.

_"Glad I did not outright kill you, are you not?"_ the fire demon asked, almost arrogantly. Ryo became even more disgusted.

"If keeping innocent people safe means sacrificing my own life, I'll do it," he said in the boldest way he could, ignoring the blood still in his mouth.

_"And I suppose one of these innocent people is the girl I've seen you with?"_ the soldier asked. Ryo looked away, but the soldier grabbed his face with both cheeks, like that other one did earlier, and pulled it back toward his own. _"And I also suppose you'll be willing to answer me before I allow one of my men to hit you again?"_ he asked.

With his still throbbing cheek serving as a reminder of the pain he'd felt, Ryo decided he didn't really have anything to lose by answering this guy.

"Even if I knew what you were talking about," he managed to say, choosing his words carefully, "what do you want with her?"

The fire demon squeezed his cheeks harder, causing the bitter taste from the blood to fill Ryo's mouth. _"You really are an ignorant fool aren't you?"_ he asked in a disbelieving, belittling tone, _"If not to lure her out like the miserable wench she is, why would I have instigated this fire?"_

At his last few words, Ryo's eyes flashed wide open in shock. If he'd felt disgusted before, he was now filled with an undeniable fury. Not only had this man, or whatever he was, started this monstrous fire, threatening the lives of the ones who had been such great help to him, but he had also spewed forth pure hatred for the one he'd come so close in such a short amount of time to. Even if this fire demon could see the affection he had for Seika behind his eyes, it didn't seem to matter now. Even if he was tied to this tree, Ryo was not going to let this guy harm her in anyway.

"If you see her that way," Ryo then said through clenched teeth in a voice only the two could hear, "you'll have to kill me before you can use me to find her!"

_"Oh, I'm not so certain about that,"_ the fire demon said, his own voice sounding as sinister and evil as ever, _"While I would like to kill you, you do not realize how much I need you. And, in case you do not remember, I have found a method that I believe will get you to talk."_

While Ryo wasn't certain of what he was talking about, he reminded himself of his previous resolution. No matter what this guy did to get him to talk, he wouldn't. Still, he watched as the soldier stood back just a few feet away from him and snapped his fingers. Ryo turned just slightly to the left as soon as he heard the sounds of moving bush branches and what seemed to be an animal growling, and out emerged the last thing he was expecting. Two soldiers, dressed much like their master, came toward them all. And, to Ryo's jaw-dropping shock, they were holding by leashes made of chains a large white, yet miserable looking tiger. Immediately, he recalled how Seika spoke of this animal, how he might be connected to Ryo's past. But no matter how he tried, even though those tiger's soulful brown eyes which now stared at him seemed so eerily familiar, Ryo still couldn't remember.

_"Oh, I believed you might have some recollection of this animal," _the fire demon said. But Ryo could only continue to stare at the tiger, who had dozens of bruises and scratches all over his body, leading him to think that these soldiers might have beaten him once they found him. Still, he could only guess. And that was the scary part.

"How did you find him?!" he demanded, once again trying to free himself of the ropes, "_Where_ did you find him?! What did you do?!"

_"All irrelevant,"_ the soldier quickly dismissed him, not that Ryo exactly expected answers anyway, _"What _is_ though, is that you are very much tied to this animal. And I am also certain you would never want to see him suffer in any way. Therefore, why not conduct a trade between you and me?"_

Ryo already knew what the trade would be. But, ignoring the way his heart was beating erratically, he silently allowed the soldier to continue.

_"If you simply tell me where that girl of yours is,"_ he said, _"I'll gladly let the tiger go free. However, if you do not, the tiger will receive burns in addition to his other wounds."_

At that moment, one of the soldiers holding the tiger conjured a literal handful of fire, making the tiger growl again. He tried to back away, but the other soldier held him firm. Ryo could only stare back at the tiger in fear. He had no doubt this fire demon would let the animal get burned. But while he still didn't believe he should tell them, even if he decided he would, Ryo truly didn't know where Seika had gone. He didn't know the landscape as well as she did. All he knew was that she took off on her horse and disappeared. And he knew the fire demon wouldn't take no for an answer. He frantically tried to think of what to do, causing sweat to break out on his forehead, but he could think of nothing. And time was swiftly running out for both him and the tiger.

The soldier nonetheless crossed his arms and said, _"Now, let us try this again. And this time, I expect an answer. Where is the girl?"_

Ryo's mouth fell open. For a moment, he closed his eyes and tried to think even harder than before. Maybe there was something in his unknown past that could help him. He had to break out of this amnesia. But he couldn't. The harder he tried, the more distant it became. And the more distant it became, the more frustrated Ryo got. It seemed all he could do was grip tightly onto the last bit of hope he had and reply with the utmost honesty, "I…I don't know."

The soldier snapped his fingers again. And Ryo watched as the soldiers holding the tiger now held him down and pressed the fire one of them was holding onto him. He watched and listened in horror as the animal roared in pain. But being tied to the tree by masses of rope, there was little he could do. Why was he having such a hard time trying to remember his past? Why was he so weak to stop this soldiers of evil and keep them from making the animal suffer? The fire demon didn't seem to care though, because he spoke up with a more sinister voice, _"I ask again. And this will be the last time. Where is she?!"_

"I'm telling you," Ryo replied, raising his voice, "I don't know!" But it didn't matter. He watched again with even greater horror as the other soldier gave the tiger another burn, making the tiger roar even louder. Ryo was sure if the tiger could speak, he would be screaming for the torture to stop. And Ryo was feeling his pain in every way imaginable. Pressing as hard as he could against the ropes, he shouted, "Stop it! Stop it now, _please_!"

But everyone ignored him. The tiger continued to roar and get burned. Ryo continued to fight and struggle against the ropes. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. Using every ounce of his strength, and even more that he somehow discovered within him only now, Ryo shouted at the top of his lungs as the ropes soon began to break. And he at last came free. "NO!"

Immediately, the head fire demon reacted by shouting, _"Get him!"_ But Ryo was ready to defend himself and the tiger. He dodged a blow from the first soldier and returned the earlier favor by punching him, sending him across the field. The other soldier grabbed him by the arm. But Ryo kicked him in the gut, tackled him, and threw him across the field as well. As he was headed for the tiger though, the two soldiers holding him instantly came at him on the defensive. Still, Ryo managed the fight them off, grabbing both by their helmets and slamming them together, sending them both to the ground in a heap. That was when he had to face their master.

At first, everything was a blur of punches and dodging. Neither seemed to be landing a clear victory. But one of them greatly lacked passion while the other was fueled by it. For the moment, it seemed he would win as he attempted to shove his opponent to the ground with all his remaining strength. He roared much like the tiger. But just when it looked like he might gain the upper hand, Ryo fell victim to an unseen sucker punch, and became the one who fell.

But the moment he hit the ground, Ryo landed on his head. And from that moment on, everything seemed to go down to slow motion. Right before his closed eyes, a series of blurry images appeared. They showed faces he knew he'd seen before. Five faces, all of which appeared in a dream of his. But whereas he couldn't recall then the names these faces belonged to, as the images began to clear, he slowly started to find the puzzle pieces which he immediately put together. A blond young man with one sharp eye hidden by his hair…Sage Date. Another with light reddish-brown hair as long as his own…Cye Mouri. A fourth with a martial arts headband and a cocky look on his face…Kento Rei Faun. And a fifth with hair the color of the blue sky and intelligent looking eyes…Rowen Hashiba.

But there was one more. It was a face he recognized immediately, one with black hair and eyes as bright as blue fire. It was his own face. And he knew his name. Ryo Sanada. And the moment he knew that, a new series of images flooded into his mind. Ones that showed all of them wearing armors that he instantly remembered. They fought a world known as the Netherrealm, and its evil emperor Talpa, as the Ronin Warriors. Alongside them was a tiger, with the same large, soulful, brown eyes as this one. White Blaze. That was his name. Ryo knew it. He knew everything for sure now. But he also remembered that he had to get back in this fight, and use this new knowledge against his fiery opponent.

_"Come now, little man!"_ he heard him say as soon as he could hear again, _"Stand up, and fight like the warrior that you…!"_

Ryo cut him off before he could finish by grabbing him hard by the wrist. The moment he did, he twisted it, causing the soldier to howl in pain. But Ryo wasn't done. He stood up, looked into the man's red eyes that he had now come to hate, and said in the boldest and most challenging of voices, "_No one_ tries to hurt any of my friends, especially White Blaze!"

As soon as he said the tiger's name, the animal roared, not in pain, but in delight. Still, there was no time to celebrate. The fiery soldier tried once again to take down Ryo, but Ryo returned the favor by swiftly dodging him, and kicking him to the ground. But he didn't stop there. Remembering now that he also had had an armor at his disposal, Ryo quickly searched his pocket, and pulled out his now glowing red armor orb for everyone to see.

_"NO!"_ the fire demon shouted. But before anyone could do anything to stop him, Ryo threw his orb up into the air, and called out his armor.

"Armor of the Wildfire, Dao Jin!" As soon as he let out the call, Ryo put his hands together, and let the now familiar red bolts of light shoot from them. Before long, after being enveloped by a wave of yellow, orange, and red fire, thousands of sparkling lights set off like fireworks when he had finally donned his armor. Immediately, Ryo remembered how it felt to wear his armor again, as though it was a second skin. He also remembered that he had twin katana swords as weapons, and swiftly pulled them out faster than his opponents could blink. Now he stood ready to face them, and hopefully send them away from here. And their master knew it.

_"You idiots!"_ he shouted furiously, _"Attack him!"_ Instantly, the once reluctant soldiers turned into hard, unrelenting ones as they took out brandished swords as weapons, but Ryo was ready to fight. It was time they paid for hurting one of his closest friends, and prevent them from hurting anyone else. He charged toward them, exchanging sword blows with one before slicing his armor open. The second received more exchanges than the first, but then also a blow to his own armor and two stabs to the shoulders. The other two tried to attack him from behind, but Ryo swiftly turned and gutted them with both his swords before slicing their armors open as well. All that was left was their master, whom Ryo quickly turned to face. And it seemed he'd lost his confidence.

_"It cannot be!"_ he shouted with the same fury as before, clearly unwilling to go down without a fight, _"You still can't be this powerful!"_

"Let me show you some real power!" Ryo replied. Right then, he put the hilts of his swords together, making one sword with two blades, and leaped high into the air, bright, vibrant flames shooting out of his newly formed sword. With gritted teeth, he sailed back down toward the earth, ready to vanquish this devil, and called out the name of his signature attack for all of them to hear. "FLARE UP NOW!"

The moment he met the ground again, Ryo slammed his sword down, and the surrounding area went up in a white, obliterating inferno. The moment it did, all five of the soldiers shouted as loudly as they could, their master most of all. _"NO!"_ he yelled in defeat, _"I SHALL RETURN, RONIN WARRIOR!" _Not long after, the shouts and screams slowly began to fade, until the white blast of Ryo's attack eventually disappeared altogether. As he looked around at the surprisingly undamaged area, panting like he'd just come out of a volcano, it seemed that his enemies had been incinerated in the destruction. It had happened so fast, and yet it took him more than a moment for him to allow it to fully sink in. But once he heard a growl, and saw that his tiger had not been harmed by the blast, Ryo knew he'd won.

Ryo allowed a moment for his armor to fade away back into its original orb before rushing over to White Blaze, happier than he'd ever been to see him. "White Blaze!" he exclaimed as he fell to his knees in front of him. He immediately then went to work removing the oppressive chains from around his neck, and only then marveled and gasped in disbelief at just how much the tiger suffered in his absence. Red scratches and dark bruises marked most of his body, along with the burns he'd sustained only moments ago, indicative of all the abuse he had to have endured. As soon as he saw how damaged White Blaze had become, shame and guilt flooded Ryo's eyes in the form of tears, and he threw his arms around the tiger's neck.

"Oh, White Blaze," he whispered as he let one, then two tears fall down his face, "I'm so, so sorry. Please forgive me!"

For a long time, Ryo just sat there, his arms around White Blaze's neck. But eventually, Ryo heard a soft growl reach his ear, and a felt a friendly touch reach his cheek. Only then did he let go, and realize that White Blaze was still his tiger, who would seem to stay by his side no matter what. Ryo smiled as much as he could as he began petting the animal's head. "Thanks buddy," he said in a voice only the two of them would hear. White Blaze growled happily again, and it seemed as though peace had at last settled around them.

But it was short-lived. Although Ryo knew he'd regained his memory, his smile fled and his mouth fell open when he recalled another precious friend to him. Seika. Where was she? Was she okay? She had to be somewhere around here. And judging by the fierceness of the fire, she probably couldn't have gone far. But Ryo knew that the odds were immediately stacked against him. Not only was he practically stuck in the middle of nowhere and in the dark now that night had fallen, but even though he'd defeated the soldiers, their master's last words stood out in his mind, and he had the feeling they might sooner or later come true. And, he had no way to track her, no way to tell where she might have gone. Or did he?

Ryo stood up as quickly as he could, looked into White Blaze's eyes and said, "White Blaze, there's a girl out there who helped me. You might have met her before. She has pink hair and wears an odd-looking shirt. Do you remember her?" He stared imploringly into the tiger's eyes, begging him to understand, when White Blaze suddenly growled softly and nodded. Ryo's smile returned, but just slightly.

"Would you be willing to help me track her?" he asked, "Please, I have to find her." Ryo knew he was probably asking a risky thing of his tiger. Not only was White Blaze hurt pretty bad himself, but he barely knew this girl for all Ryo knew. But just when he thought White Blaze might not be willing to help him, the tiger suddenly walked over to his legs, and began sniffing them. Not only that, but he also began to encircle his master as well. Ryo knew where this might lead, yet told himself not to raise his hopes too high. Still, when White Blaze stood in front of him and then indicated he might know where Seika was, Ryo smiled even bigger than before.

"You're sure?" he asked. White Blaze growled and nodded again in response, then tilted his head back to tell Ryo to get on his back. Ryo was hesitant at first. But he also remembered White Blaze was no ordinary tiger. Being over a thousand years old, it was likely he would heal from his wounds pretty fast if given the chance. Ryo, deciding to gamble on that chance, slowly yet carefully climbed onto the tiger's back. White Blaze groaned at first, but once Ryo steadied himself, it seemed he might be okay enough to carry him at least for a little while. And considering the way he was pointing forward, that was probably all he needed.

"Alright buddy," Ryo said as soon as his reluctance fully disappeared, "Let's go find Seika!" White Blaze growled in response, and before Ryo knew it, they were headed through the forest at the tiger's usual fast yet smooth run. But as they headed through the darkness of the trees, while Ryo slowly became assured of his tiger's well being, he was suddenly overwhelmed with concern for Seika's. As White Blaze followed her scent and Ryo held on, all he could even allow himself to say and think was, "Please Seika, please be okay, for me…"

* * *

><p><em>Reviews would be appreciated.<em>


	6. To See Red

**Ronin Warriors: Blood Reign**

_Episode 1 – Ryo_

Chapter 6 – To See Red

Why had she run away? What was she thinking? Those two questions practically screamed in Seika's mind as she rode Snowbell through the forest in the opposite direction of Ryo. Where was he? Seika had no way of knowing. And she couldn't turn back, no matter how much she wished. The raging fire behind her wouldn't let her. Snowbell neighed in fear when she realized they truly were in danger, leaving Seika with no choice but to let her go in a full out gallop. All she could do was lean forward and hold on tight as she let her horse fly through the trees, which were quickly being ensnared by the destructive fire. All she could do was hope they'd make it out alive.

As she rode like she'd never ridden before, Seika's mind suddenly flashed back to that momentous dream she had only a few days ago. It seemed so long ago now, but it was still as fresh as her mind as if it happened only last night. Where she was only running from an illusory fire brought into her mind at that time, now she was truly racing for her life and her horse's as she felt the heat of the fire lick at their backs. For a moment, Seika allowed herself a look back. She quickly looked forward again, but only after her eyes had widened at how large this fire was getting. And if they didn't find some way out of here soon, they would eventually find themselves torched by it.

"Ride on, Snowbell!" Seika urged her horse as she tightened her hold on the reins and dug her heels into her sides. As Snowbell rushed on, Seika grit her teeth and braced herself as the already wild ride became even more intense. She found herself riding through an area of the forest she'd never been through before. The trees were more dense. She ended up being slapped and scratched in the face and arms multiple times, and would have gotten thrown completely off had she not dodged that low hanging branch in time. She felt her hands become raw, sweat trickled down her forehead, and she could hear Snowbell's hard panting, but she kept riding on.

As she did, Seika began to see that as the sky above her grew darker and more obscure, the fire behind her only became brighter and more threatening. And with that realization, she also started to think as she did before that this was no natural fire caused by a dry spell. Someone, or something, had caused it. The longer she thought about that, the more certain she became of it. Before long, whether through her imagination or actual reality, Seika thought she was starting to see figures in the fire on either side of her. From what she saw – or what she believed she saw – the images looked monstrous, almost demonic, and they looked like they were personally chasing her down.

But she had no time to think about that, because she suddenly found herself riding down a hill, and a pretty steep one. She sat up as straight as she could, not wanting to fall forward onto the ground. Once they made it to the bottom, Seika pulled Snowbell to a halt, wanting to get a rest for both of them. But the fire kept coming, and it seemed to be coming with a vengeance. Seika looked frantically from the left to the right, but just like before, there seemed to be nowhere else to go but forward. Well, if that was the only way to even possibly get out of this place alive, she had to continue on the path she took the whole time. It did little to encourage her, but she went on.

After urging Snowbell back into a gallop, which she was sure to be tiring the mare out by now, Seika leaned forward and gripped the reins tightly as she did before. But before long, Seika's eyes widened when she saw what appeared to be a large fallen log coming their way. Still, even as she saw it, she decided she couldn't allow something as simple as this get in her way. Besides, Snowbell wasn't a one-trick pony. She guided the horse toward the log, nudged her in the sides, and shouted, "Up Snowbell! Up!" Before she completely knew it, she and Snowbell were sailing over the log, and were then landing safely on the other side. While Seika didn't remember ever doing a jump like that, she shouted proudly, "Yes! Good girl!"

Her pride, however, was short-lived. Just after they landed on the other side of the log, Seika felt the hard, loud crash of another log, blazing with fire, hitting the ground just behind them. She let out a scream and Snowbell let out a frightened neigh as both were struck with the hot cinders from the blaze. Even so, they continued on, continued to hurry away from the destruction behind them faster than ever – until Seika felt her heart stop at the sight she soon encountered. They were rapidly heading toward what seemed to be a cliff, and Seika didn't know where it went. As she continued to gallop Snowbell forward, she realized that with the fire behind them and the steep drop in front of them, they were virtually trapped.

But in a split-second decision that seemed to flare up within her, Seika also realized the last thing she wanted was to die slowly and painfully by the consuming fire. She'd already gone through that experience once, and she wasn't about to go through it again. And she couldn't let her horse go through that either. She knew Snowbell wouldn't like it. But even as she neighed at seeing the dead end getting closer and closer, Seika pushed her on, harder and harder, until, at last, they leaped over the cliff and down into the abyss – and perhaps even certain death – below.

As Seika was thrown from her horse's back, as she heard Snowbell neigh again in terror, she braced herself for the hard, fatal impact to come. She opened her mouth, but no scream escaped. She closed her eyes, yet saw no bright light. She had no idea how long she fell, but the moment she thought she might finally die, Seika felt herself be immersed into a new, wet world. After what felt like the longest few minutes of her life, she decided she might as well open her eyes, she gasped in surprise when she realized she'd fallen into what seemed to be a river. She didn't know whether it was fate or blind luck. She didn't even know if she was truly alive. But she did know that unless she found the surface, she'd never find out for sure.

Gathering all her strength, Seika moved her arms and legs simultaneously and began her ascent. She held her breath for as long as she could, but she was rapidly running out. Still, when she believed she was at her last ounce of oxygen, she finally emerged in a semi-triumphant splash at the surface of the water and let out a series of coughs, believing she'd never been so happy to breathe in her life. But her struggle wasn't over. Not only did she see that Snowbell had fallen in as well and was also attempting to swim, but Seika also realized that the river was moving on a current, and somewhat fast. She looked around frantically, looking for a place where both of them could finally find rest. Her eyes widened when she saw what appeared to be a small beach just a few yards away, but she had to get her horse to follow her toward it.

"Snowbell!" she called as loud as she could, trying to swim against the current at the same time. She allowed herself a smile when she saw that her horse noticed her, and that was when she began to let the current lead her toward the beach. She swam hard, harder than she ever remembered in her life, until her feet finally reached solid ground. With every bit of her remaining strength, she forced herself literally back on her feet and trudged as much as she could up onto the rocky shore. But as soon as she did, Seika felt her world spin around her. Black spots appeared before her eyes. Before she knew it, she'd fallen forward onto the ground, thinking she might very well die after all.

As she felt her pulse pound in her head, and heard the waves of the once menacing river behind her, all Seika could do was close her eyes. Even so, against the black that welcomed her, she found herself gazing on the faces of her loved ones. Her goofy yet lovable cousins, her motherly aunt, her stern yet loving uncle, and…Ryo. Seeing all of their faces, knowing full well that she might never see them again because of a decision she made purely out of fear, made tears well up in her eyes. There was only one thing she could think on now. _I'm sorry, Ryo_, she tried to say yet couldn't, _I'm sorry, everyone. I've…I've failed you._

That was when she fell into complete and total darkness. Or, at least, so she thought at first. The next thing Seika knew, she was looking upon what seemed to be a much happier, lighter scene. She saw a little girl, about seven years old and very familiar looking just from where she stood, emerge from a forest on a horse. The place looked bright, green, and full of summer life. But the thing that caught Seika's attention was the person the girl was riding with. It looked just like her uncle, she realized, just slightly younger. But, wait, if that man was her uncle, then the girl who was sitting just in front of him on that horse must have been…

"Seika!" she heard a woman's voice call. Thinking she was talking about her, Seika turned, and gasped when she saw two people she instantly recognized. One was a man who looked much like her uncle, with coral pink hair and smiling brown eyes. The other was a lovely woman with long, dark purple hair, and pale, purple eyes, ones that looked just like her own. It couldn't be. Her father and mother couldn't be alive. Yet, despite her strong disbelief, Seika couldn't help but listen and watch as the scene continued.

"Come on, Seika! It's time to go!" she heard the woman – her mother – say. Reluctantly, she turned her head and watched as her uncle helped her younger self off the horse. She felt a soft smile turn her mouth when she saw a disappointed look on her face.

"Aw, do we have to go now Mom?" her younger self asked in somewhat of a whiny voice. Seika allowed her smile to grow, though only slightly, but she turned her head again when she heard another voice she instantly recognized – it was her father's.

"Young lady," he called in a stern but not raised voice, "either you come get in the car right now or I'm not gonna get you shaved ice on the way home."

That seemed to do it. Younger Seika slumped her shoulders, and with a frown on her face, she walked dutifully toward her parents. "Coming," she mumbled.

Suddenly, Seika heard a series of footsteps that caused her to turn her head back another time and her eyebrows raised when she saw her aunt and her five-year-old cousins. And they seemed as disappointed and grumpy, if not more so, than her younger self.

"Aw, come on Mommy!" Akemi whined, "I wanted us to go riding on Thunder!" Seika's eyebrows raised even more when she remembered the old black pony her uncle had given her cousins for her birthday, and at seeing that it was Akemi doing the whining this time. Immediately recalling what the twins used to be like, before they became teenagers, Seika watched this new scene with interest. Her aunt gently pushed them forward and had a stern look on her face.

"You did that just yesterday," she said with a matching tone of voice, "Now say goodbye to your cousin."

Seika continued to watch, and her heart went soft as she saw the three little girls hug each other in farewell. She forgot how close she and her cousins could be.

"Bye bye, Seika," Hitomi said. Seika listened out to hear if her younger self would say something, but was somewhat let down when she heard nothing and instead saw her almost mope when she finally walked away from them. She'd never seen a kid so disappointed to leave a place, especially herself. But she still watched as her younger self headed over to the car to join her parents, and felt her spirits being lifted the moment her father lifted young Seika.

She then heard him say, with a soft look on his face, "Hey, it's not like we're never coming back here." Young Seika stayed silent as she stared at the ground, but her father turned her face back toward his and said, "Look, I know you had a lot of fun. But I promise you, one day I'm gonna make sure you have your own horse."

Seika then smiled as she saw her younger self begin to smile. And it only seemed to get bigger when her father said, "See, there's the smile we love so much!"

"Yes!" her mother agreed. But her own smile faltered as she said, "But, honey, don't make promises you can't keep."

Her father turned to her mother, but even though Seika caught his own smile falling slightly, he still said, "Wouldn't dream of it. Come on, let's go."

Once she heard him say so, even though this was supposed to be a happy scene, Seika felt her smile drop dead. Immediately, she remembered where she got her habit of making promises from. But what made any semblance of happiness Seika had flee was the fact that she knew full well that she also got her habit of making _broken_ promises from the same person. Even so, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene as she then watched her family's car drive away. Any sight of her parents, even if it was just their shadows, she wanted to hold onto for as long as possible. Which only made the weight of what occurred the following night that much heavier, despite her knowing that it would happen. And she still couldn't find the strength to keep her eyes away from what she saw next.

She was transported to a dark room, but she had hardly any trouble seeing in the dim light of the moon that shone through the window. Seika's eyes landed on what she knew to be her younger self, sleeping that innocent sleep of children. Untainted. Unharmed. Without a care in the world. Seika could feel her eyes well up with tears, and it didn't help that the next thing she saw was the time on the bedside clock. Two in the morning. Just before…

Both Seika and young Seika jumped the moment the loud, ear-piercing beeping started. But Seika continued to watch as her younger self quickly sat up in her bed, throwing back the covers and looking around, wondering what was going on, until she saw the bright waving lights underneath the closed door. Seika's heart began to pound against her chest in anticipation, until her father swiftly opened the door and shouted, "Seika, get up, the house is on fire! We gotta get outta here!"

"Go, Takeo!" she heard her mother behind him, "I'll get Seika out! Just call the fire department and wait for us, go, now!"

Her father turned to face her mother, and after a quick moment of contemplation, nodded in agreement. "Fine, just be careful, Kaori." He then hurried down the hall while her mother hastily rushed into the room and gathered her young daughter up into her protective arms.

"Mom, is something bad gonna happen?" young Seika asked fearfully, her face now wet with tears, "Is Daddy gonna be okay?"

Her mother gave her a somewhat confident smile. "Don't worry, baby," she replied, "Your daddy's a strong man. He's going to get us out of here. Now come with me."

Seika watched as her mother then carried her younger self out of the room. And whereas Seika didn't think she could move before, she now rushed out the room with them. Even though she remembered what was going to happen, part of her believed that if she could help them out of here, it might change the past, change the future. She knew it wasn't a rational or even logical thought, but she couldn't help herself as she rushed out into the hall and down the stairs after her mother. But then, once she made it to the first floor, the only thing that greeted her was a room being consumed by a hot and furious blaze. The house was already falling apart as the fire was eating up everything around it, not stopping for anything in order to satisfy its insatiable hunger.

That was when Seika heard a scream. Her head flew to where the voice came from, and her mouth fell open as she saw her father shout in pain after being struck down by two planks of burning wood. She opened her mouth to scream, but her mother did that for her. "Takeo!"

"Kaori, Seika, no!" her father shouted as her mother began heading toward him. And just when they reached the middle of the room, Seika's mother was also struck down by burning wood, and young Seika was ripped from her hold as she fell to the ground beside her.

But she hadn't been hurt as much as her mother. With a heart that felt like it was being eaten away by sorrow, Seika watched as her younger self raised herself up. And once she saw what had happened to her parents, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Mom! Daddy!"

But then, right before her now wide eyes, with a face twisted by shock, Seika saw her younger self also get struck down by another burning plank. But instead of being knocked unconscious, young Seika screamed even louder than before when she looked at, and felt most painfully, her arm that was now on fire. Instantly, Seika felt as though she was being pierced through the heart. She could feel the pain of her younger self transfer to her, not just emotionally, but physically. Before long, a wave of intense shock built within Seika, to the point where she couldn't take it anymore. She let out a wild scream that collided with young Seika's, desperately wanting all of the pain to stop. But she had the feeling that, like before, help would arrive too late.

* * *

><p>As soon as Ryo heard that scream echo throughout the surrounding forest, he felt as though he'd been hit in the face again, so great was his shock. Luckily, White Blaze seemed to have heard it too, because he stopped dead in his tracks. But all Ryo could focus on was that scream. He didn't believe he'd ever heard Seika like that, but he was pretty sure it was her. A whole series of thoughts and images flashed through his mind. Had she been found? Well, if she was, he hadn't seen any sign of those fire demons. Besides, he'd just fought them. Had she been hurt? That was more likely, yet she also seemed to know her way around the outdoors.<p>

But the one thing Ryo knew was that he had to find her. And judging by how loud her scream was, he couldn't be far off. All he could hope was that, if those fire soldiers were still out there, they might have heard her. He hadn't called out her name for that reason. But now, he had to get to her before they did.

"White Blaze," he said, "come on, we need to get there fast." White Blaze growled in response, and Ryo held on as he took off even faster than before in the direction he heard the scream. He couldn't be more thankful that he had his tiger by his side once again, not only because he now knew he was alive and well, but because in the dead of night, with no other way to find her, White Blaze's superior senses were the only way he could track down Seika.

But something happened while Ryo continued to ride on the back of his tiger. Something that, for a while, seemed to make him lose focus. Not that he wasn't still focused on finding Seika, but he found himself almost having a flashback, to about three years ago. That was…that was when someone else he cared about had fallen to a demon's deadly blade. And it didn't fail to live up to that name. Ryo remembered her name, but he wouldn't allow himself to even think it. It was when he'd gone to America with his fellow Ronins to rescue Sage. There he'd met a civilian girl, determined to avenge her brother's death at the hands of the same one who'd captured Sage. But even though Sage's life was saved, hers was not. Ryo also remembered that she was there because of him, and that she'd died in his arms…

Ryo couldn't take it, couldn't allow himself to think about it anymore. Yet he also resolved in his mind that history would not repeat itself. If it did, he'd never forgive himself. It would be two girls he'd cared about murdered by his enemies, and he didn't think he could live through that a second time. And he wouldn't. Not if he had anything to say about it. He didn't notice, but as he thought this, his fists holding onto White Blaze became even more firm.

"I'm not going to fail you, Seika," Ryo whispered as they continued the search, "I'm not going to fail either of us. I promise…" He stopped himself as soon as he said that, because he wondered if he'd already failed her by not finding her family, probably her only family in the world. And he wouldn't blame her if she thought he failed her. He told himself to prepare for the worst. Yet he also told himself that witnessing and experiencing the worst with that mindset still wouldn't prepare him. He knew he'd learned that much too often, now that he remembered his past. A past he so wanted to tell Seika about, even if she ended up not believing him.

That was all he could think as he continued to ride White Blaze through the forest. Still, he wondered how long they'd been searching for her. Although the moon was now high in the sky, Ryo had stopped keeping track of the time long ago. It was probably close to midnight, but he couldn't be sure. And the longer it seemed to take to find her, the more frustrated Ryo became. He'd wanted to find her before dawn, but that possibility seemed less and less likely.

They eventually came to what seemed to be a miles-long rocky beach on the side of a flowing river. Once there, Ryo noticed that White Blaze seemed to be more invested than ever. He had now stopped and was sniffing the ground. Curious, Ryo leaned forward and asked, "Yeah buddy? You think it's her?"

White Blaze growled, lifted his head up again, and once again took off down the beach, Ryo holding on tight in nervous anticipation. While he believed White Blaze had found her scent, he hoped he hadn't sniffed the smell of blood. He'd seen enough red in one night, and now that it seemed like they might at last find Seika, even though he still told himself to prepare for an ugly sight, he found himself wanting no matter what to see her pale pink hair again.

They soon turned a corner, and immediately, it seemed like Ryo had gotten his wish. The first thing he saw was the distant and small yet prevalent flash of pink in the distance. But the closer they got, the more Ryo's mouth fell open and his heart began to race in disbelief. It really was Seika. But she was in the worst condition he'd ever seen her. She lied on her side, away from him, on the edge of the shore. Her shirt and jeans had been torn, and her body was red with several scratches. The only thing that even slightly comforted him was the sight of her horse, Snowbell, trying to wake her up.

When they were only a few yards away, even before White Blaze slowed completely down, Ryo hurried off and headed toward his fallen friend as fast as his heart was pounding. He could see that she was breathing, but he still had the feeling that unless he woke her up, she wouldn't be completely alright.

"Seika," he breathed the moment he got to her side. Ryo gently turned her over on her back, and saw that her really pretty face had also been mangled by scratches. He got down on his knees and laid her head in his lap, and began to gently tap her face, hoping to break her out of what he desperately hoped wasn't a coma.

"Seika," he said, louder this time, "please, come on. It's me, Ryo. Please, show me you're okay…" When she didn't answer, the only thing Ryo could find himself able to do was embrace her against his chest, and lean his head against hers. But just when he thought he was feeling tears form in his eyes, he felt movement in his arms and heard a slight groan. He opened his eyes, looked down, and was immediately elated when he saw Seika was waking up. The moment she opened her eyes, he couldn't help but smile. And his smile only grew when she began to as well.

"Ryo…" she whispered in such a faint voice he at first thought he hadn't heard her.

"Seika," Ryo replied, not knowing what else to say. He couldn't remember being so happy to hear her.

"You found me," Seika said in that still faint voice. At that point, Ryo felt so happy he abandoned all attempts at restraint and hugged her. But he quickly pulled back when he realized he might be hurting her. Fortunately, something else seemed to be on her mind. "Wait," she said, "what happened to you?"

Ryo opened his mouth, about to say that he'd recovered his memory. But he quickly closed it again when he remembered he still had to put her well-being above his. "I'll explain later," he replied, "But what about you, what happened, are you okay?"

"I had a wild ride," Seika replied with a chuckle before letting out one cough, then two.

"I can tell," Ryo attempted a smile, trying to share in the humor he was glad she still had, "But, do you think you can stand?"

"Yeah, yeah I think so," Seika nodded, "But I might need some help." Ryo nodded in return, wrapped one of her arms around his shoulder, and slowly hoisted her up. They then began their walk together across the beach and toward a grassy field that adjoined it. There, Ryo spotted two moss-covered rocks he realized might make a good place for Seika to rest. He started to head that way when she suddenly turned to him and asked, "Wait, what about you?"

"You're the one I'm concerned for," he replied, "You should rest." Fortunately, Seika didn't argue any further, and he helped her down onto the makeshift bed.

"Now you stay here," he said, "I'm gonna go look for some wood so we can start a small fire."

For a moment, Ryo thought he saw a flash across Seika's eyes. But when she nodded after a silent moment passed between them, Ryo decided to shrug it off, thinking he was only seeing things. He then headed off only slightly further into the woods. After finding more than a few branches which he believed could make a good fire, he quickly set them up into a small pile and found two to rub together. To his satisfaction, it didn't take too long to set off a spark. After all, he had grown up in the outdoors, and had learned early on how to make a fire without any modern appliances.

But Seika didn't seem to know that. "How did you do that?" he heard her ask. Ryo was about to answer, when he suddenly heard a growl. He looked up, and saw White Blaze headed toward them and Seika. But just as he was beginning to wonder how she might take that, her surprised look on her face quickly gave him an answer. He immediately chastised himself for not telling White Blaze to stay behind, but now that he was here, he knew he owed Seika the truth.

"It's that white tiger, the one we talked about," Seika rasped, "Wh-, what is he doing here? How did you find him?"

Now Ryo knew it for sure. There was no point in hiding the truth any longer. He may have had an excuse these past few days with his amnesia. But now that he got his memory back, he knew that the best way for Seika to learn the truth about his past was to learn it from him. Luckily, he was prepared.

After clearing his throat, he said in the calmest voice he could, "Seika, there are some things you need to know about me, things I need to tell you."

* * *

><p><em>Reviews would be appreciated.<em>


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